One of the many cool displays at this exhibit!

Dragons exist.

Adminisk8or

02/05/2024

Look at me, actually remembering to and having bandwidth to post on my usual designated day! Better celebrate now, it's bound not to last.

I think between now and the last time I posted, there was really only one big interesting thing that I did, and that was visit a rather unusual museum/exhibit. This exhibit was a large section of a large mall, and was themed after the idea of "dreams". I would describe the decor and interactive elements as what it would look like if a mega-hoarder took all his trash and turned it into decorations, meant to look sometimes cute, sometimes cool, and sometimes strange. It took some interesting turns. Most of the exhibit would've fooled you into thinking you had just walked into a fun house for kids, but then you get through the first room, and things get interesting... not necessarily creepy, but interesting. And then you get to another room and it's taken on another theme, which mostly feels cute, but occasionally has one or two displays or decorations that are just a little unsettling. In one room in particular, you almost feel like you've walked into one of those scenes from a "PG" 80's movie that was totally fine for the kids and totally didn't traumatize them. at all.

I could go on for quite some time diving into the descriptions of the many things we saw and did, but honestly, I feel like that's spoiling the magic of it. So, this is my personal invitation to you, reader: if ever you are in the Salt Lake City area and want to go see something obscure, not very crowded but very imaginative, this is it: Dreamscapes. I won't pretend like it was the most life-changing experience of my life, but it was well worth the experience!

But I really like this exhibit, because it wasn't afraid to embrace both sides of fantasy and wonder- the magical and enchanting side, and the mysterious and dark side. With time, it seems like it's no secret that content for children is being more carefully restrictive and careful- and that's well needed, in a lot of respects (let's not even begin diving into the black abyss we know as YouTube's deep end. But sometimes I think it's possible to become too careful; at a point, children, I think, need to understand better that the world isn't all rainbows, and it isn't all sinister shadows- it's a mix of both. I can't very well put it in words, but thankfully G. K. Chesterton can, as he is most famous for saying: "Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed"

So yeah, I really loved this exhibit, because it wasn't just a cute soft-cushioned experience, but it also wasn't just a depress-a-thon that reminded me of the bleak realities of life. In basic, it did a good job of creating a more real-feeling enchanted atmosphere, containing elements of hope, mystery and wonder.

And there will probably be a lot more I'll go on about next week, as I have some exciting plans coming up this weekend, so stay tuned. Until next time, see ya!