when did you stop dreaming?

a project by harar v.a. hall

this digital sanctuary serves as the nexus for a mesmerizing amalgamation of artistry, storytelling, and speculative imagination. At its core, the landing page serves as the home for my digital collages, where fabricated worldscapes blend seamlessly with oversized flora and the presence of racialized children, offering a poignant reflection of both reality and the boundless realms of the imagination. These worlds are meant to be worlds wherein Black, Indigenous and racialized children are safe and where they are treasured. They are worlds, where we celebrate and nurture the land rather than destroying it.

The essence of this project finds its resonance within the third submission category: Narrative worlds. Here, visitors are not mere spectators but participants in immersive experiences that unfold through stories. Each visit to the landing page is akin to embarking on a journey through an ever-evolving tapestry of narratives, where the boundaries between the real and the imagined blur into a harmonious symphony of creativity.

Central to the allure of the virtual domain is the incorporation of excerpts from speculative fiction and speculative poetry - informed heavily by the work of Octavia Butler. These fragments of alternate realities and poetic musings serve as the building blocks for the co-creative process of world-building. Visitors are invited to traverse the intricate layers of Hall's collages, where the interplay of imagery and text sparks the imagination and beckons exploration.

The landing page itself emerges as a living, breathing entity—a dynamic canvas where Hall's own poetry intertwines with the words of other revered writers, adding depth and richness to the narrative tapestry. Among the textual mosaic, a haunting refrain echoes: "when did you stop dreaming?" This question, poised at the intersection of introspection and collective consciousness, serves as both a beacon and a challenge, urging visitors to reclaim the boundless realms of possibility that lie dormant within.

In essence, “when did you stop dreaming?”, an ever-evolving virtual landing page stands as a testament to the transformative potential of art and narrative. It is a space where dreams are not only welcomed but celebrated—a sanctuary where the boundaries between reality and imagination blur, giving rise to new possibilities, new perspectives, and new worlds waiting to be explored.