Carsten Höller's 'Hotel Room #2: Communal Dreams' at MIT Museum transforms sleep into collective art

At the MIT Museum, Belgian artist Carsten Höller unveils Hotel Room #2: Communal Dreams, an interactive experience encouraging group sleep. Collaborating with cognitive scientist Adam Haar Horowitz and visual artist Seth Riskin, the installation employs specific techniques involving light, sound, and verbal cues to foster targeted dream incubation. This work is featured in the exhibition Lighten Up! On Biology and Time, running from October 28th, 2025, to August 16th, 2026. Höller views dreams as influential architects, redefining the conventional roles of museums. Participants receive the same sensory stimuli, resulting in shared dream themes. The partnership with MIT researchers transforms dream narratives into scientific insights. Höller’s earlier project produced flying dreams in 67% of participants, documented in an APA journal.