About
Dreams:
The Art Laboratory
Hi there, I’m Yuca, the founder of AliceMYSTICA, based in Utrecht, Netherlands. I’m a dream alchemist, artist, and designer who is intrigued by the unknown depths of the unconscious mind. Since childhood, I’ve often had strange and vivid dreams. Yet, I never delved deeply into them, considering them mere echoes of my sleep. It wasn’t until my time studying contemporary art at a London art college that I grasped the profound potential of dreams. One day, I shared with my mentor, a theater director, about how the structure of my favorite film, “Last Year at Marienbad,” mirrored my dreams. I also shared my idea of creating a work where dreams are recorded like a video. In response, he encouraged me to record my dreams every night. From that moment on, I diligently began sketching scenes from my dreams in a dedicated sketchbook every morning.
One night, I had a striking dream where I experienced the same scene from the perspectives of two different people. I transformed this dream into an immersive art piece, combining a labyrinth with video installations. This endeavor opened up a whole new world for me. I realized that dreams not only provided inspiration from my inner landscapes but also offered resources to complete my unfinished stories. Turning dreams into artwork felt like a collaboration between my waking self and my dream self, bringing a sense of joy and a fascinating exhilaration.
YUCA I.
Dream Alchemist, Interdisciplinary Artist
BA Fine Arts, Goldsmiths, University of London
Interests: Psychology of Space, Tarot and Jungian Perspectives, Mysticism and Everyday Magic, Phenomenology of Dreams, Personal Symbols, Mysteries of Consciousness and Unconsciousness, Archeology of Thoughts, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), Flamenco, Jorge Luis Borges, Mircea Eliade and Gaston Bachelard
Dreams: A Power Spot
Once I started keeping a dream journal, I found myself dreaming much more frequently. These dreams took me to various places, turning sleep into mini-adventures that I could never experience in daily life. This nocturnal journey became one of my favorite activities. The unique places that existed only in my dreams became power spots where layers of my memories and emotions accumulated like strata, helping me reconnect with my unknown self. Among the many dreams, some stood out for their extraordinary beauty. These dreams, whose origins were unknown, felt otherworldly and mysterious, imbued with a natural intelligence beyond my comprehension. Dreams acted like secret passages, connecting me to something greater.
One day, I was at a gallery in London when I saw a sketch by an unknown artist that perfectly recreated a landscape I had seen in a dream over ten years ago. Beyond my initial shock, I felt a profound sense of fulfillment, as if I had returned to a cherished place. That dream had been particularly special to me, and I had longed to revisit that landscape in a way words could not adequately express.
A few years later, I discovered that this archetypal landscape was depicted on a Tarot card. This discovery marked the beginning of my exploration into the relationship between dreams and Tarot, opening up a new dimension in my creative journey.
Your Secret Sanctuary
After that strange coincidence, I became fascinated by the possibility that Tarot cards could reveal something about my dreams and myself. Intrigued by the mechanisms and symbols of Tarot, I delved deeper into studying it. Tarot became an essential tool for me, complementing the insights from my dreams and providing direction and structure to their abstract nature. I used dreams and Tarot as a laboratory for the mind. When I had a sad dream, mapping it with Tarot allowed me to re-experience the dream from different perspectives, leading to healing. Sometimes, when I felt down in the real world, my dreams would present a joyful version of the same event. This deep connection with the dream world made me feel supported and grounded.
By integrating dreams and Tarot, I created a secret sanctuary, a place where my inner explorations could thrive and guide me toward a deeper understanding of myself.
Dreams and Tarot help us tap into our unconscious insights, linking them with conscious thought to aid in creating our future. When I realized that dreams and Tarot could offer others the same sense of wonder within and fulfillment they gave me, I was inspired to create a sanctuary where anyone could use these tools to build the future they desire. This led to the birth of AliceMYSTICA.
I look forward to embarking on this journey with you at AliceMYSTICA.