What would make this world into a Utopia?

A machine that records and replays our dreams.

Why?

I believe modern circumstances create a very narrow understanding of what it means to be successful. When I hear that someone is “very successful”, I immediately assume that that person is monetarily successful. And I don’t think that I am alone. Many of my friends and the people I talk to express anxiety as well as shame about being able to afford the cost of living here in Los Angeles. Money is a primary concern for survival in the city, and sacrifices of authenticity and purpose are often made for the sake of affluence. These needs are real, but I believe that dislocating our priorities into external demands — paying for rent, food, bills, gas, insurance, etc. — comes at the cost of a personal interpretation and understanding of success. I think more than ever we need to become familiar with and reclaim those things that make us who we are. Dreams give us access to our identity, as well as to imagine beyond the day-to-day realities we interact with. Blake D.

Utopia Machine: Dream Machine, Ellen Harvey, 2024. No. 31 of 100 panels. Acrylic on Alubond panel, 16 x 12 in.