Collective Dreamer: What do we dream? – A Journey from Munich to Warsaw

‘Collective Dreamer’ is an extraordinary interactive installation that offers participants an enthralling journey into the depths of our collective subconscious. It provides a unique opportunity to explore the fusion of dreams, spontaneous visual contemplations of individuals, and the profound archetypes of our contemporary world, translated through the medium of artificial intelligence models. This multifaceted experience comes to life within a dome.

Within this space, visitors are invited to confide in an abstract figure, sharing their latest dreams, hopes, and innermost thoughts. Each participant’s whispers merge and transform into an ever-evolving collective subconscious, a dreamscape materializing in real-time and projected onto the interior of the dome.

‘Collective Dreamer’ serves as a powerful nexus where individuals come together, merging their unique subconscious realms with the universal archetypes of our time. It draws inspiration from the concept of the collective unconscious, as described by the eminent psychologist Carl Gustav Jung. He defined it as the ‘part of the psyche which can be negatively distinguished from a personal unconscious by the fact that it does not owe its existence to personal experience and is therefore not a personal acquisition.’ It represents the shared reservoir of human experience, something we all possess, a common thread uniting us without the need for personal acquisition.

In the era of artificial intelligence, this collective unconscious is reflected in vast datasets curated from the internet, centuries-old literature, art, human interactions, and more. The patterns emerging from this data reveal the shared narratives and symbols that humanity has consciously and unconsciously woven into its written and visual expressions. Some of these patterns resonate with Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious, drawing a fascinating parallel between the depths of human consciousness and the realms of artificial intelligence.

Much like a dream, the installation revives visual encounters with the collective unconscious. Through the enchanting process of image generation and its unique features, these timeless symbols and narratives come to life.

‘Collective Dreamer’ is a project by a collective of individuals who do not identify themselves as artists, even though two of them study at the renowned Munich Film School. However, as a collective, they are creators of art, and their approach is predominantly interactive and communicative, deeply rooted in storytelling. The installation aims to immerse visitors in the world of AI, making it tangible, interactive, and communicative. It draws inspiration from timeless communication rituals reminiscent of gathering around a cave or campfire, or the act of exchanging personal dreams, tapping into the essence of human connection.

For their current project, the collective aims to connect ‘Collective Dreamer’ with various locations and individuals, capturing unique snapshots of dreams from different places and people, much like a time or place capsule. How do the dreams of the dreamer evolve in Warsaw, Munich, and other cities? Each city, each day, leaves its own fingerprint on the collective subconscious. ‘Collective Dreamer’ seeks to make these nuances tangible and explore the vibrant tapestry of human experiences around the world.

The introduction to ‘Collective Dreamer’ commenced on July 16 in Munich, where they unveiled their dome as part of the Munich Film Festival and Kunstareal Munich. This opening installation saw over 883 dreams shared, resulting in a rich tapestry of the collective subconscious, viewable at kollektiv-traeumen.de. The success and fascination generated by this initial experience led to an invitation to the creators – four individuals driven by their passion for art and the exploration of the human psyche.

Subsequently, the ‘Collective Dreamer’ team embarked on a new chapter of their artistic odyssey, this time in the vibrant city of Warsaw. The exhibition in Warsaw opens on November 4 at 4:30 PM and will captivate visitors until December 16. If you wish to experience this unique fusion of art, technology, and human connection, you can visit the installation on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM CET or by appointment through @aokunsthalle.

Join us on this captivating journey where the boundaries between art, technology, and human connection blur, and the collective subconscious springs to life.”

Soft Opening: 04.11.23 at 4:30 p.m. open until 8:00 p.m.

Opening Hours: Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays from 4:30 – 8:00 p.m. and by appointment