As A Dream That Vanishes was both an installation and a performance, which considered the inevitability of death, as well as the intimate rituals of life. The audience was invited to browse through a series of rooms with shelves and cabinets full of memorabilia. Participants were encouraged to open drawers, touch and examine the mementos, and sift through the layers of emphemera.

The second part of the evening combined film and sound with a live performance by Albert Ratcliffe with Merry Conway and Noni Pratt, which observed the small rituals of letting life go. Conway and Pratt also produced an artist’s book, available at each performance, which included text, photographs, and raw material from the piece. Over 1,200 people attended the exhibition.

Multiple Artists

As A Dream That Vanishes (A Meditation on the Harvest of a Lifetime)

Manhattan

1991