Dream Sign

The shimmering structure you see on the slope of Bernal Hill is a public art installation titled Dream. Created by artist Ana Teresa Fernandez, the sculpture stands twelve feet high and is composed of hundreds of individual aluminum discs. These metallic panels are designed to move and flash in the wind, creating an optical effect that makes the letters appear as though they are composed of restless, flowing water. The work serves as a memorial to Mike Francisco, an influential Oakland graffiti artist known by the tag Dream. After he was killed during a robbery in the year 2000, his name began to appear repeatedly on the walls of an industrial building near the nearby Alemany freeway interchange. Fernandez, who frequently passed this site on her commute, decided to elevate the word from the roadside graffiti to the hillside, giving the sentiment a permanent, monumental scale visible to thousands of daily commuters. Beyond its role as a tribute, the sculpture functions as an intentional disruption of the city landscape. By placing the word in a location visible from the merge of two major highways, the artist meant to force a moment of introspection for those passing through. The piece invites viewers to reflect on their own aspirations and the accessibility of opportunity in the current political climate. It was installed with help from local middle school students, who assisted in the assembly of the reflective panels as part of an arts curriculum designed to encourage young people to engage with their surroundings.