The school where I work each year brings in an "innovator in residence" -- or, in the case of this year, two innovators.* They've been on campus for several weeks now, talking to students, teachers and parents and creating an artwork that is custom-made for our school community. I finally had a chance to go see it yesterday.
It's called "The Nightly News," and it's installed in a sort of indoor/outdoor courtyard. (It has a partial roof, but it's basically an outdoor space.) The installation focuses on dreams, and consists of dreams that people have written down, projected onto a colored screen with colors that shift and a sort of dreamy musical audio track.
Hopefully if you click on the pictures to enlarge them, you'll be able to read the dreams. I chose these pretty much at random. The color should ideally be a little more intense on the projected screen, but it was very windy yesterday, and the blackout tarps on the right side of the roof (which is glass) had been torn so light was getting in.
There are also cards available where people can write down their own dreams:
Can you guess which one is mine?
It's a very cool installation, and I'd like to go back and spend a bit more time there -- but it closes today so I'm not sure I'll have a chance. We'll see what the day brings!
*I'm being vague with names to keep my blog out of people's Google search results, but if you follow the link, the artists are named there.
I doubt many school children would know much about Richard Nixon. That must be yours. You dreamt it but there is truth in dreams.
ReplyDeleteIndeed that is mine! You're right -- kids wouldn't dream of Nixon now, any more than I would dream of Calvin Coolidge.
DeleteThe red one? How is Olga today?
ReplyDeleteOlga is better! I forgot to give everyone an update!
Deleteit doesn't look like something that would interest me.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting, but I'm sure it's not everyone's bag!
DeleteReminds me a lot of https://postsecret.com/
ReplyDeleteYes! Very similar to that kind of idea. I once had a book called "Suggestion" of collected handwritten suggestions from many people on how society could be improved -- also kind of similar.
DeleteWhat a nice idea. I think it might make the students, and the adults, realize that all of our dreams are kinda the same.
ReplyDeleteYou dreamt Nixon was your father? Dream? Nightmare?
Oh, lord, definitely a nightmare!
DeleteRichard Nixon? My gosh. Whatever you ate before bed, don't eat that again.
ReplyDeleteNo kidding!
DeleteOh, I hope the Nixon was was yours. Hilarious. I like the idea of this installation.
ReplyDeleteWhatever you ate before you went to bed on that dream didn't agree with your brain cells instead of your tummy. Don't tell anyone else. especially your family and not your sister when you go to Florida. if you do she probably won't let you use her car. put that dream back in pandora's box.(you have me giggling very hard this morning
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I ever did tell anyone in my family about that dream. Certainly not my father!
DeleteThat is hilarious about Richard Nixon. I love the installation - a very interesting idea.
ReplyDeleteIt's very cool!
DeleteDreaming that Richard Nixon was was your father is not that crazy. Presidents are father-figures in a way and you must have been a very young boy when he was president. But still- a sort of nightmare.
ReplyDeleteThat art is the kind of thing that I think is very cool but at the same time wonder...really?
That's a good point -- fathers and presidents both carry authority, especially in the eyes of a child. I like the dream installation because, as Bob said, it shows us that many of us have similar dreams.
DeleteStrange dream for you, Steve. Did the students like this exhibit?
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful trip! do you fly out tomorrow?
Yes, they did like it! My departure is a bit up in the air at the moment. More to follow!
DeleteVery cool and powerful. Richard Nixon! And to think THAT used to be my worst nightmare. Chuck cracked up when I read your postcard sign-off from you and the queen!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm glad he got that postcard! This whole time I've been thinking it never arrived!
DeleteI see that other commenters here guessed the Richard Nixon dream. That seems right to me too.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting exhibit.
Yes, Tricky Dick it was!
DeleteI hope you get time to go back. Dreams are so interesting. Cool installation.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of dreams, I just remembered a little snippet where I met your Dave. He was a nice guy, we got along.
DeleteI'm sure you'd get along with Dave! He's very affable and seems to get along pretty well with everyone. He's only difficult when you really get to know him! LOL
DeleteMy favorite dreams are the ones where I am swimming in the sea and can breath underwater. Watch out for Nixon! And beans. And pigs. And nuclear war.
ReplyDeleteI had a dream like that when I was a kid. It was so real I actually thought I could breathe underwater when I woke up. Needless to say, I never really tried to breathe underwater.
DeleteI know! A strange assortment of threats and dangers! Never had the underwater dream myself, though I have had flying dreams.
DeleteHow interesting and creative. Did you dream that Nixon was your father? I like the dreams where I can fly.
ReplyDeleteYes, Nixon and Dad were one and the same! I've had flying dreams too. Supposedly they're really about sex!
DeleteDon't leave us hanging. My vote is for Richard Nixon too. I love the idea of the innovators in residence and the kids doing this. It sounds like a very good school!
ReplyDeleteNixon it is!
DeleteDreams are endlessly interesting as a source of ideas. Ir maybe a repository of ideas
ReplyDeleteInvoluntary expressions, I'd call them -- so yeah, more of a repository.
DeleteI liked this idea a lot.
ReplyDeleteMe too! And it's very approachable for the kids.
DeleteThat's a fascinating exhibition. I would rather have Nixon for a father than Trump, but that's not saying much. Dreams are weird.
ReplyDeleteGood lord, Trump. That WOULD be a nightmare. (Though back when I had the Nixon dream that was considered about as bad as it could get.)
DeleteIf you dreamed that your real father was Richard Nixon, that's not a dream. It's a nightmare!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
DeleteWhat a fun (and interesting) exhibit! From everyone's responses, I'm assuming yours is the Nixon dream (which just makes me laugh!), though I also could see it being the one about fighting seventh graders in the hallway.
ReplyDeleteI fight my share of seventh graders -- but no, it was indeed Nixon.
DeleteI'm not understanding what all the black covered pillows are about. I don't think I could express just one dream. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteThe pillows are just there to sit or lie on while you take in the changing messages on the screen. I wondered why the screen is folded?
DeleteLike nearly everybody else, I'm going to guess your dream was the one about Nixon. It's not the content, it's the handwriting and the placement (on top)! Signed, Jenny the Sleuthing Donkey
ReplyDeleteYeah, I took the photo right after dropping it onto the stack! LOL
DeleteI wish my school had such interesting and creative projects when I was young. But back in the day (too long ago to count now but lets say more than 50 years) all we did was English, maths, history, biology and similar academic pursuits, which I loved - and compulsory sport, which I hated. Nothing like this! I loved it!
ReplyDeleteUgh. Compulsory sport! I hated that too!
Delete