Sleep: A Parallel Universe

The interdisciplinary exhibition “Sleep: A Parallel Universe” is dedicated to sleep as a basic human need and reflects how the duration and quality of sleep differ and change depending on culture, epoch and general circumstances. The joint project by several European partners will debut at the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein in spring 2027, followed by a presentation at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània in Barcelona (CCCB). The exhibition will feature international works of art, design, architecture, film and literature, as well as research findings from the fields of psychology, medicine and biology.

The broad-based exhibition investigates the complex relationship of sleep, culture and design – from shifts in sleeping patterns due to the introduction of artificial light in the 19^th century to the effects of digitalisation and the growing demand for ever-higher productivity today. “Sweet Dreams” is divided into several chapters that examine the history of sleep and show how sleeping habits have changed and adapted to people’s living and working conditions since the Industrial Revolution. The project takes a critical look at the social conditions of rest and relaxation and examines the phenomenon of sleep from a medical perspective and in terms of socioeconomic differences and other forms of discrimination. These perspectives are supplemented by related works of art and design – bedrooms, sleeping furniture and fashion, as well as installations and works of fine art that address sleep deprivation, sleep disorders, futuristic visions of sleep, and sleep as a form of protest that decouples us from the capitalistic cycle of production.

The exhibition will be accompanied by lectures, panel discussions, performances and workshops.

The exhibition “Sweet Dreams” is funded through General Project Funding by the German Federal Cultural Foundation.

 
Artistic director: Mea Hoffmann
Curators: Mea Hoffmann, Vitra Design Museum | Alexandra Laudo, Centre de Cultura Contemporània 

Exhibition: Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein: 20 Mar. – 5 Sep. 2027; CCCB Centre de Cultura Contemporània, Barcelona: 16 Nov. 2027 – 14 May 2028