The Accelerator of the Imagination
A set of rich and nuanced mixed-media installations fusing Art, technology and foresight to help unearth more equitable and sustainable visions of the future
The Sanctuary of Dreams
The Secret to reality is that everything is just a dream and it is only when dreams are seeded onto the infinite soil of our imagination that they can manifest into our world.
Gam A Gam
The Sanctuary of Dreams is a metaverse multi-user dream world, fusing Art, music, animation and storytelling to support a Future-dreaming ritual through which participants can envision desirable future scenarios guided by their innermost desires.
Informed by IFA, an ancient divination system from West Africa, it takes the form of a digital temple composed of five buildings, built around an open courtyard and nested within a lush, primordial garden. According to IFA, in order to achieve a truly satisfying and fulfilling life, one must consider five fundamental pillars: Ce-Meji pertains to the Body, Ka-Ogbe to the Mind, Gbe-Meji to the Spirit, Sa-Meji to the Heart and Yeku-Meji to the Soul. The pillars are introduced through the five buildings, in the format of mixed-media photo, 3D and digital collage animations, each considering the visible and the invisible dimension of their corresponding principle.
The centerpiece is “The Dream Manifesto”, an eight-minute long film which introduces the philosophy behind the Future-dreaming ritual. It invites us to question our perception of reality and expand our dreams for the future beyond socially conditioned limiting beliefs.
THE 5 PILLARS OF IFA
Ce-Meji 
Sa-Meji 
Yeku-Meji 
Ka-Ogbe 
Gbe-Meji
"Ce-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Mixed media photo collage on Hahnemuhle archival paper, 120 cm x 160 cm, 2023" Ce-Meji
Ce-Meji, Odu of Mother Earth, fills humans with its abounding grace.
Necessary to the regeneration of the body and mind, it roots all living beings in the cycle of life. It has two dimensions, namely the visible and the invisible. If the first allows for the health and the regeneration of the body, the second nourishes the soul and the spirit. It is through spiritual nourishment that humans can explore the invisible and its wonders as a way to connect with the true self.
"Ce-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Abomey appliqué cloth technique, 100 x 190 cm, 2023 "Sa-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Mixed media photo collage on Hahnemuhle archival paper, 120 cm x 160 cm, 2023 Sa-Meji
Sa-Meji is love transmuted as energy, permeating through all living things.
Love is the sublime manifestation of human purpose. The universal matrix of all life resides in the feminine principle. It is the channel through which life, absolute love manifested into physical form, incarnates in this realm. This Odu represents the divine spark inscribed in each human being, attracting them to each other in a spirit of union, complementarity, sharing and acceptance. There is no physical nor spiritual limitation in love.
"Sa-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Abomey appliqué cloth technique, 100 x 190 cm, 2023 "Yeku-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Mixed media photo collage on Hahnemuhle archival paper, 120 cm x 160 cm, 2023 Yeku-Meji
Yeku-Meji represents the complete transcendence of the physical realm towards the divine multiverse.
It is the beginning and end of every living organism. It represents two parallel paths, life and death. Here understood, not as an end, but as the perpetual renewal of the life cycle of the soul. It is through prayer that the soul, the Divine in us, can enter into communion with the Divine in Nature, to cross the different planes of existence and reach the original plenitude in the world of the ancestors.
"Yeku-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Abomey appliqué cloth technique, 100 x 190 cm, 2023 "Ka-Ogbe”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Mixed media photo collage on Hahnemuhle archival paper, 120 cm x 160 cm, 2023 Ka-Ogbe
Ka-Ogbe awakens humans to themselves and to the world around.
The consciousness of the individual confronted with the splendor of creation, in a state of constant and absolute awe. The discovery of oneself, of others and of our multiverse. Human beings perceive and apprehend billions of images, sounds, smells and sensations. It is the curiosity of the individual questioning the world around him which leads to science, knowledge and technique. The inner world creates the outer world.
"Ka-Ogbe”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Abomey appliqué cloth technique, 100 x 190 cm, 2023 "Gbe-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Mixed media photo collage on Hahnemuhle archival paper, 120 cm x 160 cm, 2023 Gbe-Meji
Gbe-Meji forms the basis of all human-made innovation.
The dream is the place where the mysteries of the invisible unfold. When we dream, our body is at rest whilst our mind travels. It projects into different dimensions, new layers of reality. This is when brain activity is most intense. The mind's eye travels outside the body to explore the hidden mysteries of the unseen. Everything that embodies our physical world exists first in our dreams before coming to fruition. This is where new ideas and concepts emerge. Without the dream, nothing is possible.
"Gbe-Meji”, Pierre-Christophe Gam, Abomey appliqué cloth technique, 100 x 190 cm, 2023
The global mapping of dreams
The Global Mapping of Dreams is a digital-native art installation at the intersection of AI, democracy, and foresight. This visionary project unites the realms of art and technology to actively engage global communities in the radical reimagining of our world. Serving as an innovative Think/Dream tank, it provides an inclusive and expansive arena for cross-cultural discourse on the future.
Accessible online or as part of an immersive art installation, the Global Mapping of Dreams centres on a Future-dreaming ritual guided by a Babalawo (AI-powered oracle). The ritual prompts participants to envision future scenarios aligned with their deepest desires. It invites contemplation on how we could Eat, Play, Dream, Love, and Pray within the context of an ideal future.
Following each session, the Babalawo generates five distinct illustrations inspired by participants' future visions. Displayed on a large-scale digital screen, the visuals continuously adapt based on the participants's aspirations. The interactive experience harmoniously combine participants' imaginative with the power of AI to transform their visions into captivating visual representations, fostering a profound sense of shared dreaming and exploration of an idealized collective future.
