Kirsten Farquhar

Our dreams may seem like a subconscious oblivion that comes in the forms of deeply buried memories, glimpses of our everyday, subliminal symbols, fears, worries, or the people we love, hate, or miss. However, these transient visions and surreal sensations that we encounter as we dream, as obscure as they may seem, can activate our subconscious mind, showing us manifestations of our own identities. Influenced by her own experiences with sleep paralysis, insomnia, and lucid dreams, Kirsten’s interactive installation, ‘Oblivion,’ aims to transport the viewer into an alternative dimension, as if the dream world has escaped from the subconscious mind. With underlying themes of mental health, time, and mortality, Kirsten’s work reveals the seemingly mirror reflection between reality and our dreams, exploring the ways in which life experiences, whether positive or negative, can be examined or deconstructed as we sleep, or be the cause for sleeplessness. Through the combination of distorted imagery, ambiguous sounds, and other sensory stimulations, Kirsten has created ambiences and sensations that are both personal to herself, yet unnervingly familiar to others. From the darkness we see as we stare up at our ceilings before falling asleep, to the mysterious imaginings we endure as we dream, Kirsten’s work aims to explore and share the universal human experience of dreaming, and the surreal experiences that the subconscious mind can take us.