Curating and Centering Art for Social Change: Interview with Jessica Hernandez

Jessica Hernandez, an art curator and sound artist, joins me, Iris Martinez, to talk about art for social change, her work at Unbound Visual Arts and Transporter, and her artistic interests.Additional Resources:You can learn more about the Hyde Square Task Force/Boston's Latin Quarter on the HSTF website.The art print Iris mentions hanging on his dorm room wall was Irezumi com padrão de cerámica, 1997, by Adriana Varejão.Podcast Guest Bio:Jessica Hernandez (she/her) is a DJ, sound artist and curator. In terms of visual art, her interests include sculpture, installation and textiles. She is also drawn to work that relates to archives, engages with text and explores the ontology of objects, Blackness and the Caribbean. As a musician and sound artist, her practice relies on the heavy processing of found samples and field recordings, often utilizing the sounds of industrial objects and materials for their sonic depth, brooding character, and conceptual resonances.In 2024, she and Aaron Michael Smith founded Transporter, an experimental music series located at the Boston Cyberarts Gallery. With Lori Martinez, she organizes WWL — a working group for queer and non-binary musicians. She runs Project One, a mix series mostly dedicated to techno. She graduated with a B.A. in Peace Conflict Studies in 2020 and an M.A. in History at the University of Virginia in 2022. She began working with Unbound Visual Arts in 2022 and became Managing Director in 2024.Podcast Production Credits:This episode of Iris FM was hosted by Iris Martinez. Editing by Leo Martinez and Iris Martinez. Original improvisational music for the intro and outro by Leo Martinez.