In the Eye of a Dream is a multimedia exhibition by Kinnari Saraiya. Through it she explores how colonial powers used anthropology to study and control native populations by analysing collected dreams for signs of rebellion. Saraiya’s work reimagines these by drawing on indigenous perspectives that view dreams as gateways to alternate realities and transformative experiences. 

The exhibition weaves together textiles, interactive installations, and a traveling cinema to blend historical archives with imaginative fiction. Saraiya transforms discarded Jacquard loom punch cards, historically used for programmable weaving, into touch interactive hand-embroidered controllers, which animate virtual characters. The stories of these characters unfold through dance, choreographed in collaboration with Indian classical performers.

By dissolving boundaries between the material and the virtual, In the Eye of a Dream reclaims the dreamscape as a decolonial archive and transforms the gallery into a richly imagined and exploratory space. 

Kinnari Saraiya (b. 1998, Bombay) is an artist and curator, combining digital worldbuilding, expanded film and installation to explore decolonial, feminist and ecological imaginaries through biomechanical storytelling. 

In the Eye of a Dream is co-presented with Brighton Festival, as part of their 2025 programme.

Find the Artist:

Website: https://www.kinnarisaraiya.com/

Instagram: @kinnarisaraiya