Dream: Production Props and the Stages of the Unconscious Mind
W2021 ARCH562 Studio _ ClimateSF with Faculty Kathy Velikov
Dream: Production Props and Stages of the Unconscious Mind is a hallucinatory spectacle exploring the "Dream" as a production facilitated by props that enable dreaming. Drawing from J.G. Ballard’s The Drowned World (1962), the narrative follows an archivist cataloging objects abandoned by those migrating north to Camp Byrd amid environmental and economic collapse.
Amid this trauma, the only refuge lies in the "dreamscape," where the archivist, haunted by nostalgia for the archived furniture, seeks to understand his connection to society. He questions the soul and identity of these objects, particularly a lampshade, a picture frame, and a vanity mirror. By reconfiguring these domestic items—once tools of perception—he aims to transcend their cultural constructs and uncover new meaning.
As the archivist progresses through the stages of sleep, the dreamscape and reality blur. Props from the archive manifest and evolve, guiding his journey through subconscious terrain. Dream ultimately challenges the viewer to reconsider the capitalist production of objects, the commodification of lifestyle and desire, and the psychological impact of material culture in a world on the brink.
