Commissioned by Para Site for ‘Post-Human Narratives—In the Name of Scientific Witchery’ curated by Kobe KO Wing Lam

July 29 - August 28, 2022

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Throughout history, there have been various interpretations and conjectures of dreams and the allusions behind them. Although the study of dreams has shifted from religious to more scientific and psychological perspectives, we still cannot fully grasp how a succession of scenes with specific emotions and sensations come about. Why do we dream? 

 

The Greek philosopher Plato described dreaming as “ideas are birds fluttering around in the aviary of our brains”. Dreams carry metaphorical meanings to the awakening self, they are influential keys that unlock the door to the subconscious and allow access to the unknown side of deeper awareness. They concomitantly reveal the relationship between personal identity and its surroundings. 

 

The work was inspired by one of the artist’s dreams, where she dreamt of two giant humpback whales and one of which called Lisea, was singing. Taking from her consistent practice of lucid dreaming, Wong systematically records her dreams. Viewers from spiritual, psychological and other backgrounds are invited to interpret her dreams. Dreams contain a level of authenticity and inaccuracy while interpreters may inevitably combine their thoughts with the artist’s dreams in their analysis. Even the current scientific studies still cannot give perfect answers to the incorporation of waking life in dreams. However, with the belief that the mystery of dreams carries other potentials, it may become hope— an alternative explanation about our being. 

 

回望人類歷史，早已對夢境以及夢境背後的隱喻作出不同的詮釋和想像。雖然對於夢境的研究已從宗教的角度發展到科學及心理學的角度，但我們仍未能完全理解這種帶有特定情感的場景是如何產生的。我們為何做夢？

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希臘哲學家柏拉圖曾描述「我們腦中各式各樣的想法就像一群四處飛舞的小鳥」。夢境就像一把不可忽略的鑰匙，使人打開潛意識的大門以及探查到自我深處未知的另一面，將隱喻的意義帶給覺醒者，並同時揭露了自我身分與週遭環境的關係。

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作品來自於藝術家其中一次做夢的經歷。她夢到兩隻巨大的座頭鯨，其中一隻名為Lisea，在夢中唱起歌來。藝術家通過特定時間內對產生清晰夢境的持續性訓練，在夢醒後有系統地記錄下來，並歡迎無論是來自精神、心理或是其他背景的觀眾對她的夢境進行詮釋。夢境帶有一定程度的真實與失實，而觀眾作為詮釋者去闡述的時候難免會將自己的想法與藝術家的夢境結合在一起。即使現今的科學研究也無法作出完美的回答，為何清醒時的生活場景會出現於我們的夢境中。但是，只要相信夢的神秘莫測是承載着另一種可能性，那也許是另一種可選擇的希望，去解釋存在。

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Special thanks to Christina Tam, Karina Ye, Jay Lau, Liv Tsim, Jasmina Mok and all invited dream interpreters

For more details: https://posthumannarratives.com/

 

Photo by Samson Wong Pak Hang (Studio Lights on)