By Iulia Grigoriu & The Dreamers
Dream Gallery I & II
Production of the RKI Rumänisches Kulturinstitut Berlin
[Ceci n'est pas une] Gallery - RKI Berlin Art Space
Berlin 2024
DREAM GALLERY
A surreal exhibition and theatrical parcours inside our collective subconscious
Inspired by dreamers
A performative series with: Iulia Grigoriu (director/script), Iris Christidi (scenography), Ioana Elena Urda, Dimitri Cacouris (actors), Mihai Grecu, Beatrice Markopoulos, Lăcrămioara Tănase (visual artists), Ioana Mandeal (curator)
The Romanian Cultural Institute in Berlin is pleased to invite you to the premiere of DREAM GALLERY – a new participatory project developed together with an interdisciplinary collective on March 23-24-25, 2024 at [Ceci n'est pas une] Gallery, the art space of RKI-Berlin.
With the intention of expanding perceptions of what an exhibition space means, DREAM GALLERY becomes a creative laboratory for performative thinking, blurring the boundaries between contemporary art and performance.
The project was preceded by a "Call for Dreams", which encouraged dreamers from all corners of the world to present their recurring dream experiences, in an attempt to capture and document humanity's reactions to the intense changes of our times. Starting from this Dream Archive, director and screenwriter Iulia Grigoriu gathered enough information to illustrate the connections and collective patterns to formulate her first thesis about the enigmatic relationship between daytime and nighttime life — namely, the real realm and that of the unconscious.
The first episode of DREAM GALLERY “leads participants on an immersive journey that transcends the boundaries between the dream world and reality. Inspired by the dreams of Romulus Boicu, Larisa Pleșca and Sabine Künster, the experience penetrates the depths of our collective unconscious, allowing us to confront the absurdities found in the deep layers of the mind. Thus, we will understand that reality is not a rigid construct, but a fluid concept, shaped by our perceptions and choices.”
Conceived by director Iulia Grigoriu and a team formed by Iris Christidi (set designer), Ioana Elena Urda and Dimitri Cacouris (actors), and visual artists Lăcrămioara Tănase, Beatrice Markopoulos and Mihai Grecu, alongside curator Ioana Mandeal, the performance is a collaborative effort to translate the deep mechanisms of the psyche into a tangible experience for the audience, integrating original artworks and theatrical resources.
“Perhaps unexpectedly, the essence of this project lies in the celebration of reality. It challenges us to stop and contemplate the significance of our individual capacity to navigate the world around us. Through its imaginary narrative, DREAM GALLERY encourages the audience to free themselves from the conventions of society and embrace their autonomy.” (Iulia Grigoriu)
Conceived as a cycle of performative events, the DREAM GALLERY project line will unfold as an intermittent and interdisciplinary artistic format, which will take place in the established pause intervals between the exhibition chapters hosted by [Ceci n'est pas une] Gallery.
DREAM GALLERY invites us to challenge the status quo and embrace the limitless possibilities of imagination. By daring to chart our own paths and defy social norms, we can affirm our humanity, claiming the power to shape our own reality.
Throughout the year, DREAM GALLERY will continue to launch complementary episodes to examine the nature of the contemporary unconscious and shed light on how people from different fields and life situations intersect in the world of their nocturnal dreams.
