Phantasia – “Imagination unrestricted by reality”

The aim of this project was to create an online exhibition that investigates the phenomenon of dream and to present dreams as stories – symbolic manifestations that could establish themselves as links to the anima and spirit of the beholder. Dreams provide continuous symbolic imagery, whenever language fails to convey a particular inner experience, dream imagery can capture it both vividly and authentically. (Freud, 1900)

The exhibition follows the stories of five dream protagonists; their stories portrayed through haunting and thought-provoking photographs accompanied by cinematic sound and film. Narration throughout the exhibition supports the idea of purposeful dreaming and that our dreams are affected by our personal history and emotion. Phantasia seeks to explore the dream realm on a more spiritual level and relates dream to the supernatural through the exploration of sleep phenomenon such as visitation dreaming and sleep paralysis. Phantasia hopes to create a personal connection with the viewer by truly capturing the ideas, emotions and sensations experienced in dream.

Inspiration for this project comes from the love of visual art and storytelling. Phantasia is aimed at those with an appreciation for art, beauty and horror but also exists as a portal for those who wish to escape reality and immerse themselves in an emotional, memorable and greatly unnerving cinematic experience.