DREAMRAVE
Dir. Adrian Yu
Produced by Eaton Workshop and Offline Projects.
The following is a transcribed introduction by Adrian Yu from the ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE film festival screening.
Hey guys, this is Adrian Yu, the artist and filmmaker behind “Dreamrave”. “Dreamrave” is a piece that I create last year, 2019 in Hong Kong Art Basil. It’s actually two pieces in one, it included an installation but also companion film and both these pieces kind of work hand in hand, right?
It dealt with the same sort of themes of collective dreaming, of the collapsing of physical and digital spaces together. Similarly to the five stages of sleep, you know, it's this process of ego death. And I think that this film captures a lot of the same sort of notions together. Shot it in New York and in Hong Kong with a bunch of my friends.
I'm really excited to kind of have it finally out and hope you enjoy.
In an age of technological overreach, Dreamrave—a multimedia and electronic music installation co-curated by Eaton Workshop and Offline Projects that takes place during Art Basel —interrogates the intersection of the digital and physical via collective dreaming. Dreamrave originally existed as a four-act installation, which transformed Eaton HK into an ambient dream space, mimicking the stages of sleep, with visuals generated by online and in-person participants. This film, which shares its title, is an experimental art film that aims to capture the visceral experience of visiting the exhibition.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Adrian Yu is an interdisciplinary artist, director, and creative director.
As an artist, his work explores themes of identity, technology, and semiotics within new media. His work often examines Asian American identity with site-specific installations that challenge audiences with provocative environments. He has exhibited in solo shows at Hong Kong Art Basel and Wallplay New York.
As a director and creative director, his work brings together his expertise in film, design, experiential media, and technology to create non-traditional films and campaigns for brands like Nike, Adidas, and Spotify – as well as creative and live direction for artists & record labels like GoldLink, 88 Rising, and Flatbush Zombies.
His creative work has appeared in Artsy, COOLS, Dazed, Fader, New York Magazine, Time Out and more.
Yu is currently the founder and creative director of Offline Projects, a creative studio showcasing progressive underground talent in nontraditional spaces.
Offline Projects partners with select clients to create groundbreaking 360-degree campaigns with creative direction, branding experiences, live film, and digital technology. Born as a pet project in marrying music with new media art, Offline Projects has expanded into a multi-disciplinary studio founded on authenticity – with a diverse team of a combined 20+ years of experience within the design, film, music management, fine art, and tech industries. At its core, OP is an extended experiment in bringing together innovative technologies, design-driven storytelling, and immersive sensorial experiences
View the corresponding panel here for Dreamrave titled “Roblox Girlfriend: A Discussion on the Disintegration of Reality”. Featuring Adrian Yu (Artist, Founder, Offline Projects), Tim Kosters (Partner at Offline Projects), Ian Glover (Interactive Artist), Milly Cai (Assoc. Director of Ippodo Gallery), and Danny L. Harle (Composer).
This panel is inspired by Milly’s little brother who got a girlfriend on Roblox during quarantine. A discussion on the current state of post-truth and dissolution of boundaries between reality + virtual reality in isolation. Dreamrave explored ideas of ego death and dreaming by linking the real and virtual worlds together, and in 2020 it’s become even more relevant with our current states of living.