This past Saturday I went on a VES field trip to New York City. One of the stops was The Dream House, an art exhibit in an apartment in Chelsea. This immersive experience was created by artist Marian Zazeela and composer La Monte Young. Through the use of light and sound, the room recreates the experience of having a psychotic breakdown. There are two relatively empty carpeted rooms with a few pillows. In order to enter, guests need to remove their shoes and remain silent but they can stay as long as they want. The experience was trance-like but not as intense as I expected. It was interesting to be in a room with strangers in this odd setting and to view how they were taking in the environment. I fell asleep and and it felt like we were there for longer than we were, probably because we weren’t on our phones and forced to focus on what we were doing. Generally, it was a very cool experience that was enhanced by the niche crowd it draws.
