Curated by Christian Rapp, Maria Prantl, Renate Woditschka and Joana Wiseman 

Night dreams, day dreams, dreams of a better life. 

We all have dreams, and many of us remember them - so much so that we often want to share them with others. We all remember daydreams, such as moments of childhood boredom that inspired us to dream and ponder. We all have dreams of life in the future - whether we dream of a house with a garden or a better and fairer world for all.

But we live in a time that makes dreaming increasingly difficult. Wars and conflicts, the threat of climate catastrophe, high inflation, the after-effects of the pandemic - our times are characterized by uncertainty and disruption. This is also reflected in the results of studies among young people, who are increasingly pessimistic about the future. It is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to develop positive visions of the future. Our nocturnal dreams are also suffering. Recent studies show how multiple crises can put a strain on sleep and lead to less rest and frequent nightmares.

In 2025, the exhibition "Dreams" at Schallaburg Castle creates a space for dreaming. With ist small winding rooms, its long and lively history and the many faces and grimaces in the terracotta courtyard that tell of dark myths and fantastic legends, it is the ideal place to open up access to dream worlds. 

The exhibition invites visitors to take a closer look at their own dreams as well as visions and dream images from various historical and cultural contexts. Dreams have always and everywhere been of immense importance - after all, we spend a good third of our lives asleep, and as current research shows, we are almost always dreaming. 

The exhibition also creates space for daydreaming. In our performance-oriented society, there is less and less time for idleness, less and less time to let our thoughts wander freely. The exhibition shows how important daydreaming is for our creativity and well-being and the enormous power of our imagination. Visitors are encouraged to dream, daydream and develop positive future scenarios. An important message of the exhibition is that dreams can bring about change. Only if we can dream and imagine a different world can we create it.

Dreams - an exhibition in three acts

The exhibition spans the arc from night dreams to day dreams to dreams of a better life and a better world. This is reflected in the exhibition's three sections: "Sleepy", "Dreamy" and "Wide awake".

Sleepy

The "Sleepy" section explores the world of sleep and nocturnal dreams. What happens in the body when we sleep? When exactly do we dream? How does our environment influence our sleep behavior and therefore our dreams? Differences in dreaming depending on age, gender or species are also examined in this area - because researchers assume that animals whose sleep has a REM phase also dream.
A central aim of the exhibition is to make different perspectives on dreaming and different approaches to dream interpretation visible. The "Sleep Drunk" section is therefore also dedicated to the stories of people from a wide variety of geographical, professional and religious backgrounds about their approach to dreaming. For example, an indigenous activist from Brazil talks about the central role of dreaming in his community of origin and a psychoanalyst talks about her application of Freud's theories in psychoanalytical practice.

Dreamy

The second part of the exhibition focuses on daydreaming and the interpretations and influences of night dreams on the waking state. Here, dreams are examined as a source of inspiration - as a source of impetus for new developments, creative processes and "ingenious" ideas. One part of the section is dedicated to artistic adaptations of dream motifs and shows how these have changed over the course of modernity in line with the image of man and new findings and theories. The exhibition spans various media - from theater and literature to painting, graphic art and sculpture to photography and film. An important element of "Dreamy" is the invitation to visitors to immerse themselves in dream worlds. A "space for dreaming" encourages them to free their minds and let their thoughts wander.

Wide awake

The third and final section of the exhibition is dedicated to utopias and visions of a better world. It begins with the power of dreams and focuses on their instrumentalization in the history of political thought. Throughout time, dream narratives have been used to influence and persuade others. While in biblical stories dreams are still regarded as messages sent by God, the image of dreaming has been used as an important symbol for political visions since the 20th century at the latest. To this day, politicians use the metaphor of dreaming to encourage and inspire. 
With Martin Luther King's speech "I have a dream", the exhibition leads on to utopias and visions of a better world. A kaleidoscope of utopian ideas illustrates the diversity of social concepts, some of which are still highly relevant today. 

Finally, the last part of the exhibition invites us to exercise our utopian enthusiasm and our utopian thinking. After all, developing ideas and visions for a better future and working on them (together) requires, above all, the courage to dream.

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