ARTISTS
ONLINE: To Dream Effectively
鈥楾o Dream Effectively鈥� is a group exhibition across Focal Point Gallery, Big Screen Southend and Southend High Street that brings together international artists whose work offers cautionary reflections on a future that can still be influenced by how we dream it to be. It takes inspiration from the ground-breaking novels of science-fiction writer Ursula K Le. Guin (1929 to 2018), in particular The Lathe of Heaven, 1971, which was strongly influenced by the principles of Taoism (an ancient philosophical and religious belief of Chinese origin that emphasises living in harmony with 鈥榯he Way鈥�).
In this book, the main character George Orr鈥檚 dreams alter past and present reality, leading to his quest to 鈥榙ream effectively鈥�. In this future world, set in the year 2002 in Portland Oregon, global warming has wrought havoc on the quality of life everywhere, there is extreme deprivation for much of the huge world population and war rages in the Middle East. Yet with the unwelcome inventions of an ambitious psychiatrist, Dr Haber, Orr鈥檚 dreams have unintended consequences, posing philosophical 鈥� and political 鈥� questions around the ethics and motivations of who gets to control current and future realities.
Works including film, wall drawing, online artworks, video game, sculpture and performance encompass cosmic, ecological and ethical viewpoints that prioritise non-binary and global narratives. These offer a powerful alternative to the mainstream histories and viewpoints that dominate our past and present realities.
Recommended for you
鈥楾o Dream Effectively鈥� is a group exhibition across Focal Point Gallery, Big Screen Southend and Southend High Street that brings together international artists whose work offers cautionary reflections on a future that can still be influenced by how we dream it to be. It takes inspiration from the ground-breaking novels of science-fiction writer Ursula K Le. Guin (1929 to 2018), in particular The Lathe of Heaven, 1971, which was strongly influenced by the principles of Taoism (an ancient philosophical and religious belief of Chinese origin that emphasises living in harmony with 鈥榯he Way鈥�).
In this book, the main character George Orr鈥檚 dreams alter past and present reality, leading to his quest to 鈥榙ream effectively鈥�. In this future world, set in the year 2002 in Portland Oregon, global warming has wrought havoc on the quality of life everywhere, there is extreme deprivation for much of the huge world population and war rages in the Middle East. Yet with the unwelcome inventions of an ambitious psychiatrist, Dr Haber, Orr鈥檚 dreams have unintended consequences, posing philosophical 鈥� and political 鈥� questions around the ethics and motivations of who gets to control current and future realities.
Works including film, wall drawing, online artworks, video game, sculpture and performance encompass cosmic, ecological and ethical viewpoints that prioritise non-binary and global narratives. These offer a powerful alternative to the mainstream histories and viewpoints that dominate our past and present realities.
