Ever see polka-dot patterns behind your eyelids after looking at a bright light?  Or starry swirls when you close your eyes in the sun? This is the phenomenon that birthed Dreamachine, an immersive art affair designed to be enjoyed with your eyes shut. Murrayfield Ice Rink has reopened its doors for the first time since 2020 for this one-of-a-kind event, where light and sound create a personal picture of movement exclusively in your mind.

^{Picture: Urszula Soltys}

The concept was inspired by artist-inventor Brion Gysin in 1959. Annoyed at the bright sunlight that flickered through gaps in the trees during his bus ride, he decided to close his eyes. The warm tricks of light triggered an array of kaleidoscopic patterns in his mind that were the muse for creating his ‘dreamachine’.  A recreation of his vision has been expanded and designed for the 21st century by Collective Act in collaboration with Turner Prize-winning artists Assemble, while Grammy-nominated composer Jon Hopkins has fashioned a sonic score to accompany each audience member’s journey into their own mind. Presented in partnership with Edinburgh Science, this free and original exhibition has been brought to Scotland as part of UNBOXED’s artistic festival, Creativity In The UK. The multi-sensory spectacle will be staged at Murrayfield throughout September, having been packed out in both London and Cardiff.

‘Beyond the confines of screens or devices, our programme will creatively explore the most fundamental of human connections,’  says Collective Act director, Jennifer Crook. ‘Dreamachine offers an insight into the everyday miracle of consciousness. To explore one of the greatest remaining mysteries to humankind; all you need to do is to close your eyes.’ 

Murrayfield Ice Rink, Edinburgh, until Sunday 25 September.