68 dreams



I dreamed intensely for several years. I transcribed the dreams of the night in a notebook.
For the purposes of the installation, I chose sixty-eight of them, which I then had translated into different languages. While strolling through the installation, fragments of dreams emerge from a kind of magma of multiple voices.These dreams are of course all authentic (I have been asked this question before). They have been transcribed as they were, without any changes in syntax or grammar. Only the spelling mistakes have been corrected.
I also took the liberty of giving a title to each dream.


1/ the dream of the man losing his hair

2/ the dream of the man who became a vegetable

3/ the dream of the hams in the synagogue

4/ the dream of the plane crashing

5/ the dream of the chase in the train

6/ the dream of Nitouche blinking

7/ the dream of the death of King Hussein

8/ the dream of the last Palestinian fighters

9/ the dream of the snob game at 1000 Francs

10/ the dream of Arianne Mnouchkine

11/ the dream of Thomas' kick

12/ the dream of the shower

13/ the dream of the grey cars

14/ the dream of the pasha who kills the bald man

15/ the dream of the inevitable punishment

16/ the dream of the crossings

17/ the dream of the clown Grock

18/ the dream of the two gangsters

19/ the dream of the General de Gaulle and the French fries

20/ the dream of the tomatoes and the carrots

21/ the dream of the fight in the street

22/ the dream at the Moscow airport

23/ the dream of the Japanese woman and the Arab

24/ the dream of Idi Amin Dada and the spy

25/ the dream of the fight in the water

26/ the dream of the oases in the desert

27/ the dream of the three American soldiers

28/ the dream of the snake jealous of my sex

29/ the dream of the killer with tailor's scissors

30/ the dream of the gassed Jews

31/ the dream of the miniature planets

32/ the dream of the atomic war in Galilee

33/ the dream of Georges Pérec

34/ the dream of the apple inside the apple

35/ the dream of the collapsing stadium


36/ the dream of the hotel with sinks in the elevator

37/ the dream of the poster full of errors

38/ the dream of the burned house

39/ the dream of the long kiss of the parachutists

40/ the dream of Georges Bataille

41/ the dream without tail nor head

42/ the dream of the rape of Napoleon's wife

43/ the dream of Chinese verticality

44/ the dream of the disappearance of President Claude Mitterand

45/ the dream of the anti-Semitic attack

46/ the dream of the people who convert

47/ the dream of the cut in the heart

48/ the dream of the 179 feet deep hole

49/ the dream of Hitler's second sandwich

50/ the dream of the death of the gigantic crab

51/ the dream of the incomprehensible word

52/ the dream of the bread and the matzah

53/ the dream of the erection

54/ the dream of the really dirty feet

55/ the dream of the shot through the window

56/ the dream of the embarrassing ejaculation

57/ the dream about the physiognomy of cars

58/ the dream of the fatal accident

59/ the dream of the memories

60/ the dream of the exorcism

61/ the dream of the hidden treasure

62/ the dream about food preservation

63/ the dream of the vanilla ice cream

64/ the dream of Isabel

65/ the dream of the nuclear explosion

66/ the dream of the water stories

67/ the dream of the ashes

68/ the dream of the summer camp
1/
the dream about the man losing his hair
"... I meet A. She is escorted by her husband, a short bearded man losing his hair as well, but still hairier than I. A. and I don't talk to each other. On the other hand, I actress her husband and point out in a perfidious way that his baldness will soon catch up with mine. Of course he doesn't appreciate it and we separate in a chilly atmosphere ... "
2/  the dream about the man becoming a vegetable
" .... An elderly couple stands in what seems to be the lobby of an hotel or a public building. The man is dressed in a white suit. He dies. They lay him on the ground, on the steps leading to the lobby. His body obstructs the entrance and the public has to stride over him. I come to the conclusion that it must be a local custom. I move close to him and call several times "A doctor! A doctor! "with, it seems to me, some sobs in my voice. Then, it seems that his heart resumes beating but I tell myself that it is much too late, the brain was deprived of oxygen for too long, the man will remain a vegetable ... "
3/ 
the dream about the hams in the synagogue
" ... It rains. Together with M., we are heading to the reformed Jews' synagogue. From the outside, the building looks like a unproposing church. We go in. In the lobby, tables. On the tables, trays with sliced ham. Aghast, I exclaim to M.: "They are so reformed that they even eat ham!. " I can't believe my eyes. A man turns about and stares at me with, it seems to me, a reproachful look ... "
4/ 
the dream about the plane that crashes
" ... I’m watching a plane during its landing approach. I tell myself that the handling is quite wrong, it runs the risk of an accident. And indeed, when the wheels touch the ground, the right wing detaches and the plane crashes into a steel tower crammed with viewers. A man lays down a notebook on a desk in front of me. It seems to me that he is a passenger of the plane and that he is dead. But obviously, it doesn't prevent him from telling us that he wrote down all kinds of notes in case of an accident ...” 
5/ 
the dream about the chase in the train
" ... It all happens on a train. I am a criminal on the run. If I succeed to reach the end of the journey, I know that my crimes will be absolved. I may even get an amount of money and a place to start a new life. I am chased from car to car. There is no feeling of tension, of danger, on the contrary ... "

6/ 
the dream about N. who flashes
"...I meet N.. I take her in my arms and we kiss. Then, holding her at arm's length, I turn on myself, very quickly. She rises from the ground and whirls around. She becomes younger and younger, and finally looks like a little girl of 6 or 7. Little red and blue lights flash along her body...''

7/
the dream about King Hussein's death
"...King Hussein is dead. I am very surprised; he was young though. But how did it happen? and where? ...”
8/
the dream about the last Palestinian fighters
"...We gather on the beach. About thirty Palestinian survivors. For us, it is the end, we are all going to die. Three fighters will kill the others, then commit suicide. I listen to the radio. Another attack: one hundred dead at the Cairo airport. Palestinians succeeded in making a plane take off without its wings, and filled with explosives. It rose into the air and came down in an explosion. How did the authorities not realize this? I am shocked. Sitting in my car, hearing this news, I burst into tears. I clench the steering wheel between my teeth. My father, sitting next to me, says nothing...''
9/
the dream about the snob game for 1.000 Francs
"...A game of high society snobs is to send people back in time, without their knowledge. These people get 1000 Frs. but I believe, or want to believe, that it's 1000$. I am one of these people, and I find myself, with three companions, in the time of pharaonic Egypt. The goal of the game is to go in search of a treasure in enemy territory. We embark on a galley that goes up the Nile. I forget the adventures of the adventure. From the top of the cliff, the spectators of the game observe us, as one observes ants. My three companions are removed from the game and return to our time. I remain alone. I shout as much as I can. I too demand to be brought back to the contemporary era. Nothing works. Apparently it is impossible...''


10/
the dream about Arianne Mnouchkine
"... A guy is chasing me, trying to catch me and each time I barely escape.
It almost becomes a game. Suddenly, Ariane Mnouchkine calls us both in an imperious voice. Once again he wants to grab me but this time, to drag me towards her. I am the quickest and grab his hand and hold it like the gentlemen hold the the hand of the ladies, high up. My gesture caught him completely off guard and brings a smile to his face. We move towards Ariadne, as if for a wedding ceremony. We both wear long white dresses...''
11/ the dream about Thomas’s quick
“...Thomas has an argument with his friends. I ask him what's the matter. He answers that his big friend gave him a kick. And why? Because Thomas himself kicked his friend's younger brother. Before fighting, they were busy rolling big stones down from the top of a hillock. Several Japanese people pass by. I follow one of them who approaches a bench where three of his companions are seated, two Japanese and a woman whom I address in Hebrew. I stretch out my hand to show her on the tip of my nail a minuscule insect wich I believe is a rarity. She examines it and nods in agreement. She carefully takes it with tweezers and then squashes it "But why?" I exclaim, "Why? "She has a mute answer: "OK, OK, since we have seen it, we can get rid of it ... "
12/
the dream about the shower
"... I am about to take a shower in a public baths. I look for a towel, to steal it. They are large, dark blue. These showers are actually placed in my mother's clothing store. Some  customers examine the discs…''
13/ the dream about the gray cars
"... In a room, cars are lined up. With a long hose, I am busy cleaning them, unless I paint them grey. Indeed, at the end of my work, the floor and the cars
cars have the same dirty grey color. Then I go in a small adjacent room where they bring me some  red and orange agricultural material. I think about how to I think about how to clean-paint this equipment. A man enters the room. I chase him with a chair in one hand and a cloth in the the other. Several times I hold him against the wall and keep him between the four legs of the chair while I hit him with the cloth. Finally he goes away...''
14/
the dream about the pasha who kills the bald man 
"... In the shoe section of a department store, I am reclining on a high couch, like a pasha. Before me walks a bald, pot-bellied man. I pull out a red air-compressed revolver and, still reclining, I aim it casually at him as he stands before me. I shoot. I walk away and wander to try to figure out what happened. He might be dead. In the night, I roam around an empty lot. Nearby, the police, and the man I might have killed..."
15/
the dream about the inevitable punishment 
"... Accompanied by a young woman, I am leaving the dining room of the Théâtre du Soleil in Paris. Through a window, a woman is observing us. Both of us know that we cannot do it. We run towards the reception area. The actors are there. We try to hide. They tell us: 'There, there, under the costumes.' We slip under the costumes. The other woman arrives already and searches for us. We wait for her to leave. But she catches my companion off guard, and it's over. I have to leave too. This woman is familiar to me. There's a connection between us. I tell her: 'It was the party for me, now it will be the party for you!' I know that she will punish me, make me suffer, torture me, but I accept it calmly, it's the rules of the game. There might be tenderness, friendship, esteem between her and me, the way adversaries hold each other. Maybe even love. We smile at each other..."
16/
the dream about the pedestrian crossings 
"... I'm offered a small job to earn some money: helping pedestrians cross at the pedestrian crossings. I might even have a yellow (or maybe brown) uniform..."
17/
the dream about Clown Grock
"... Clown Grock, already elderly, gives a lecture about his art. He tilts his head vertically and shoots a long stream of water that falls in a mist of droplets. He repeats his demonstration several times, seemingly without filling his mouth with water. Then, once the lecture is over, he discusses his housing problems with the few lingering individuals..."

18/
the dream about the two gangsters
"...A city by the sea. Very high in the sky, a man prepares to jump from an airplane. He leaps and falls freely in a skydive. The city expands. His goal is to land in the harbor. Just at the corner of the port, a man in his fifties boards his brand new small white speedboat. He's proud of it. A few meters away, on the pier, another man, the accomplice of the parachutist, watches. The unsuspecting man, looking up, spots a black dot in the blue sky, and that dot grows into a cross. He doesn't understand. Then everything happens quickly. The parachutist falls into the water, not far from the boat. His accomplice jumps into the boat, engages in a brief struggle with its owner who is pushed into the water. Then the boat speeds away, without stopping, races to retrieve the parachutist, and they both disappear together into the streets of the city."
The police are on their trail. One of them seeks refuge in a room where the few people present pay no attention to him. The inspector enters the room. The fugitive picks up an object that looks like a very wide bicycle chain. For this man, the whole story seems to have also begun with a bicycle chain, and he thinks that this moment could be the end of the story since the initial object is also the final object. He abandons the object and goes onto the terrace. He contemplates shooting the inspector but believes that the latter would be alerted by a sixth sense. Nevertheless, he pulls out his revolver and aims it at the inspector. Before he can fire, a bloodstain grows on the lower part of his face, and he collapses, dead. There is no sound of a gunshot, everything is silent. As for the fate of the second fugitive, it remains unknown..."

19/ the dream about General de Gaulle and the French fries
"... I'm hungry. I walk into a cafe to buy a sandwich. Near the window, sitting around a table, is General de Gaulle, accompanied by young people. They are having a drink. One of the young people has a plate of French fries in front of him. He pushes the plate towards the General. The General, very dignified, politely thanks him. The young man offers it to him again once or twice, perhaps hoping to someday say that he shared a plate of fries with General de Gaulle. But de Gaulle, very formal and just as polite, refuses again and again. I pay for my sandwich and I leave..."
20/ 
the dream about tomatoes and carrots
"...There's a knock on the door. I open it. A man rushes in and starts smashing everything. I pounce on him, throw him to the ground, and kick him all over. Suddenly, a heavenly OFF voice, like a supermarket commercial, is heard. 'And despite the blows, tomatoes and carrots will be one Franc more expensive!' I'm surprised. So it's an advertising announcement. The guy I hit must be a salesman. I wonder if all salesmen will accept being treated this way by their customers just to sell their carrots and tomatoes at a higher price..."
21/
the dream about the street fight

"... I walk down the street. Under the arch of a house, I see a man attacking a woman. I run, grab him. We tumble to the ground, the woman flees. I gain the upper hand and deliver a solid blow to his completely bald head with a club. He's half knocked out. But the following blows seem to revive him instead, and I have to redouble my energy to knock him out again. The rubber truncheon isn't enough, I grab a long stick and strike with all my might. Seeing him unconscious, I distance myself, but he's already getting up and chasing after me. I run and reach the house where a friend lives. I encounter the owner who's renovating the ground floor apartment. It looks interesting, and I inquire about the rent. Later, the man and I are seated at a table and we come to the conclusion that it's better to make peace rather than keep fighting incessantly..."
22/ the dream at Moscow airport
"...The plane arrives at Moscow airport. Upon landing, the aircraft's nose is adorned with a massive necklace of flowers as a welcome gesture. A voice announces that in case the flowers obstruct the pilot's view, the landing will proceed smoothly thanks to the autopilot. I've come to Moscow to attend the Olympics. After disembarking, my passport goes from hand to hand, from office to office, and I follow along. It ends up with two young women seated on unusually low chairs. One of them complains of knee pain. I explain to her that it's probably because of the chairs. We engage in a conversation..."
It seems there are some issues with my passport. I ask them where I could find affordable accommodation, secretly hoping that one of the girls would offer me a place to stay. But contrary to my expectation, they tell me that I will have a hard time finding a room in Moscow. Finally, they hand me a questionnaire to fill out. On it are photos of five Russian race car drivers who have won races in South Africa. Next to them are photos of five Turkish women. It's explained that the five Russian men have married the five Turkish women, and the questionnaire asks me to match up the couples..."

23/
the dream about the Japanese and the Arab woman
“...In a room, I am in the company of two women: one is Japanese, and the other appears to be Arab. I am lying next to the Japanese woman. She attracts me a lot. I would like to make love to her, but she intimidates me. I energetically rub her legs to warm them up, and she likes it. I glance at the Arab woman in front of me. She is wearing a magnificent Bedouin dress. Her face is old, unattractive, and gaunt..."

24/ the dream about Idi Amin Dada and the spy
“...I am in my hotel room in Moscow. Later, I will take my plane to return to Spain. I am packing my bags. I am looking for the money I have hidden. I search everywhere, but I only find Gillette razors. I have doubts. Could the money be here? I step out into the hallway. I come across Idi Amin Dada, sitting on the floor. I know he killed his 6 men. Will he kill his 6 wives? I speak to him. We get into a car together, but we don't start it. Suddenly, he rushes out; he has to pee. During that time, 
I go to the cafeteria on the corner of the street. I'm looking for my contact, the spy. Inside, there's a man, alone, leaning on the counter. I guess it must be him. He addresses the owner and speaks very loudly, so I can hear him. "My name is something Washington.'' That's the password. He approaches me, holding a photo in his hand. In it, I can see a half-submerged port, a port overlooking the Moskva River. He whispers to me that we have a meeting later on the ferry that connects the two banks of the river...”
25/
the dream about the fight in the water:
“... I'm fighting in the water, holding his head underwater. He's not moving anymore. Then I'm with a woman whom I feel like I know very well. I strangle her, not strong enough to kill her, but she loses her memory, like a sort of Zombie. I cry, I cry, what have I done? I take her home...”

26/
the dream about oases in the desert“...  Why are there oases in the desert? Because God doesn't want the desert to be reduced to an equation equal to zero...”
27/ 
the dream about the three American soldiers
“...  I am in Germany. It's the end of the war. The country is occupied. An American soldier can't find a place to stay. The authorities find a young German woman, petite, black hair, pretty, who is willing to host him. I imagine the continuation: romance, marriage, and repatriation to America. The image of another American soldier...”
He is sitting at a café terrace. Suddenly, his wife appears in front of him. He is so surprised that he falls with his forehead on the table. The image of a third American soldier. He is sitting at a café terrace. His wife emerges behind him. He bursts into tears. A woman's face, black hair, medium-length, fair complexion, slightly spaced front teeth, could it be N?...”

28/
the dream about the jealous snake of my sex“... I come out of a telephone booth. Two men are waiting for me across the street, watching me. One solution: fight. The first one doesn't scare me. The second one is more concerning. Short, stocky, with an Asian face. He asks me if I know haikido. "No!" I reply. He then hands me a tube of white rubber, soft and flexible, about fifty centimeters long, completely harmless. In his right hand, he holds a folding metal ruler. We face each other. He attacks, and with a sudden motion, he unfolds the ruler, touching me with its end, which I grab between two fingers. My action helps him calculate the distance between us because then he delivers a powerful blow. This maneuver repeats several times until I refrain from grabbing the ruler. As a result, he becomes disoriented. I take advantage of that to attack him with the rubber hose, but of course, with little success. The two men overpower me and take me to a woman, beautiful, tall, imposing, probably their leader. Another prisoner is there, a young woman. Her upper body resembles a stack of chairs piled on top of each other...”
This girl is meant for me, I know it. One of the henchmen of the leader takes the young girl outside to make love to her. She resists, retreats. The female leader wants me to make love to her. There's no way to escape it. I resign myself. We lie down on a bed. Her men all lie down on the floor. I'm aroused, and suddenly, in front of my genitals, a snake rises, the tamed snake of the leader. "He's jealous of you!" she tells me. The snake slithers to the foot of the bed and bites everyone in its path. Afraid, I sit up and try to escape. In front of me, there's a door. I rush to it, open it, and behind it, a second door, locked. The snake followed me. I grab a shoe and flatten its head like a pancake. "Why did you kill it?" the female leader says to me, sobbing. "Don't you see that the key on the first door also opens the second one?" I check, and it's true. I flip through an illustrated book where they talk about remedies for snake bites, death, ancient armors, butterflies, all mixed up. The men and the young girl start to move. It's over, after everything that has happened, I know that I won't make love to the female leader...”

29/
the dream about the tailor's scissor killer

“... I dream that I am a woman and a man forcefully enters my apartment. He is big and bald. In his hand, he holds a large pair of scissors, tailor's scissors. He is a killer. We confront each other on either side of the large dining table. No way to escape, the door is on his side. We observe each other, we move around a bit. I can tell that he's hesitating to climb onto the table to get closer. Still, I don't feel that this situation should be taken as tragic. I remember that this man is the last surviving member of a group of killers chasing after me. Once, two dwarves warned me of the danger. But the last time, they didn't have time...”
The seven killers, armed with tailor's scissors, had barged into my house and I had exterminated them by burning matches, or maybe their scissors. Only one had escaped me, the one in front of me now. The face-off lasts for a long moment. I then find an excuse to leave the house and I run to take refuge in a toy store, trying to call my husband. I see the killer approaching, I try to hide. No one will believe me if I say he wants to kill me. They will think I'm crazy. He enters the store and waits for me. I pay for the phone call. We leave together. We head towards a semi-truck. "You must drive it to my husband!" I say. "Yes!" he replies. And then...”
30/
the dream about the gassed Jews

"...In a vast, entirely white room, men are lying naked on the floor. Jews. Standing around them, soldiers are lashing them. An order is given. Skillfully, the soldiers wind strips around an arm or a leg, dragging the Jews to a corner of the room. They pile them up there and then toss small capsules onto their bodies. Deadly gas. At that moment, other soldiers enter from the far end of the room. They don't have the same uniform. My gaze falls on a weapon lying on the ground, halfway between the newcomers and me. I rush forward, but one of them reacts immediately, rushes over, and seizes the weapon before I can reach it. He shoots at the soldiers with whips, then hands me the weapon. It resembles a submachine gun, but instead of bullets, it contains long metal needles..."
31/
the dream about the miniature planets
"... A curious world where are described the comparative advantages of thousands of miniature planets revolving around our Earth and used as individual secondary residences.
Each one arranges its planet to its convenience. The planet can be a few meters to a few dozen meters in diameter.
The attraction being minimal, because of the low density of these planets, one can only walk on the upper part. I tell myself that to avoid any risk of falling into the void, I will build a barricade...''
32/
the dream about the atomic war in Galilee
“... We are driving in a car. We're in Galilee, at the foot of Mount Tabor. I look up towards the summit of the mountain, where the monastery is. Suddenly, a swarm of planes appears in the sky. They are flying in all directions and shooting at each other. There are fighter jets and B52 bombers. I exclaim, "It's war, it's war!" Then, there is a bright flash. A nuclear bomb has just detonated. I realize that this is the end. We only have a few seconds left to live...”


33/
the dream about Georges Pérec
“...I am reading a passage from the work of the writer Georges Perec. In these few lines, several words have been intentionally erased. All of them contain the consonant sound "ou," and the challenge is to guess the missing words. I can't manage to do it, except for one word: "REMAISIN." The definition hits me, so to speak: "leather carapace, by extension, any clay object covered in leather." Another word comes to mind, maybe a synonym: "coussinet," or perhaps "coussinette." I burst out into uncontrollable laughter, and the other people sitting at the same table look at me, slightly puzzled.
I step aside until I am calmer, and upon returning to the table, I realize that it's 5:05 PM, and I'm about to miss my therapy session. I call G., who asks me if I will indeed come at 5 PM. I reply that I will. I enter a bookstore to consult a dictionary about the word "coussinet." Its pages are made of such thin paper that they are almost translucent. The word is accompanied by a photo. Metal or perhaps leather, soft leather. In the photo, we see a coussinet, hanging in the display window of an antique shop. Its dimensions are at least 1.5 meters in height and 2.5 meters in length when unfolded...”
34/
the dream about the apple inside the apple
“...There are several children in the house, perhaps they are all siblings. My father suggests a game to avoid getting bored. He goes up several floors and, in the middle of the staircase, he throws an apple. It smashes on the ground. He then asks us (in English): "What's there, inside the apple? If we say: an egg, we lost. If we say: an apple, we won." Then, he throws an egg and poses the question (in English): "What's there, inside the egg?" Then he throws an orange, and once again he asks us: "What's there, inside the orange?"

35/
the dream about the collapsing stadium
“...We embrace each other on the street, amidst the passing people. Tenderly. From now on, it's going to be complicated for us to meet. Me living in Jerusalem, she living in Tel Aviv. It's a long journey. Eventually, the best option would be to meet in Aix-en-Provence. We discuss this, and our attention is drawn to a wooden building that is starting to collapse. This building looks like a football stadium, with many stands. They collapse one after the other. People cling to doors, to pillars, to avoid being swept away by the fall. But it's in vain. Beside us, in the street, a large man gestures. He shouts that the building should be demolished, not restored. I tell my friend that this guy must be the owner of the destroyed building and that he'd like to make a good real estate deal by replacing it with an office tower...”
36/
the dream about the hotel with sinks in the elevator

“...I arrive in New York, searching for N. I head to the hotel where she's supposed to work as a receptionist. The doorman blocks my way – not just anyone can enter. Eventually, I find myself inside a corridor. In one of the rooms, R. and B. are lying on a large bed, and I slip in beside them, so happy to meet them. Later, I have to accompany some people, but I forgot to note down our room number. The elevator is a room several meters long. Inside, there's a refrigerator and white porcelain sinks, the kind you find in public restrooms. The paint on the walls is peeling off. Everything is filthy. It's the first time I've seen an elevator equipped with sinks, and I wonder how all of this can function. The elevator stops,

The two individuals open the refrigerator door and disappear through the back. I follow them and start running. Hotel employees are chasing after me. I rush down a path that seems to be carved in bleeding red meat. I manage to elude them and end up in the hotel's restaurant, sitting at a table with B. and R. The dinner is delicious. The staff gives me dirty looks. R. tells me that she's going to register me in the hotel's records to resolve the issue...”
37/
the dream about the poster full of errors
"...I am at the printing house where the poster of the show is to be made. The poster is full of mistakes. They made a mistake in the title of the show. Moreover it is illegible. The graphic design is inspired by Russian constructivism and it seems very outdated to me, now that I see other posters next to mine. I'm not happy at all when I leave the print shop. Outside, there is a guy with a car that won't start. I hold the wheel and the guy and his friend push. The car edges along an abyss, and I'm very afraid it might fall in. There are hairpin turns, and I have

to be very careful not to drive the car off the edge. The car won't start. They keep pushing, and we end up on the roofs of a block of abandoned buildings. The houses start collapsing and exploding one after the other. The two guys panic. I spot a door. It leads to a staircase that goes down to the ground floor. I make my way back to the street. I find J. We embrace. Very happily, we chat...“
38/
the dream about the burned house  
“... The house of J. and D. burned down in their absence. Perhaps a church also burned, and what remains are three tall wooden columns, with heads carved at regular intervals. I am repairing a cornice on the roof. At a window, my mother appears, and perhaps my father too, to see how my work is going. I shout at them to get lost. It's a pity I have nothing to throw at them. In a university restaurant, we barricade ourselves to resist the police. I realize that I'm getting involved in a messy situation: no papers, no residence permit. I try to call J. and D. to warn them, but I dial the wrong number. While attempting to leave the restaurant, we are pushed back by the police. What is going to happen?...”
39/
The dream about the long kiss of the parachutists
"...We are very high up in the sky. Far below, we see the white target we need to reach. N. and I jump together. We fall in free fall and exchange a long kiss in the open sky. We separate to execute the parachute opening maneuver. I search for the cord but can't find it. I frantically search, cursing myself for not checking everything before the jump. I'm going to die at this speed. I land on the ground without harm. A few moments later, N. lands near the center of the target. I describe my fall to her, and we kiss. She tells me 'I love you!' I wonder what value to assign to her words. The other parachutists gradually join us. They discuss parachuting..."
40/
the dream about Georges Bataille
"...A fight between a man and me. Will I get revenge? Or will he get revenge? I don't remember anymore. He enters a small room, and he won't come out for years. Later, I discover his name. It's the writer Georges Bataille..."

41/ 
the dream without head or tail
"...During a tennis match, a Swedish player was killed. This triggers our escape. I have a revolver to defend myself. A man tries to wrest it from me, but I manage to free myself and move away. His wife is a large matron, with a kind face. I take her by the shoulders and say, 'I like you, and you also know Pablo!' Together we cry. Alone in a room. An eye spies on me through the carpet. The room is empty. A table. I must leave my pair of socks. Through the wall, I see inside a bookstore. I catch a glimpse of the section with oriental books. No one is around. I might steal some on occasion. I empty my pockets. There are pearls. I leave the socks, as planned, and pocket the pearls. As I exit, the secretary asks me what I want. I don't want anything, but I sit in the waiting room and kiss a child..."
42/
the dream about the rape of Napoleon's wife
"...Napoleon descends the stairs of a palace. He crosses paths with the man who defeated him, an Arab leader, or perhaps an admirer of Genghis Khan. Napoleon asks him, 'What will you do with the wives of my soldiers?' The other replies, 'Don't worry, we won't kill them right away, they will be raped a hundred times first!' 'But my wife?' Napoleon exclaims. 'Well, of course, the same will apply to her!..'"
43/
the dream about Chinese verticality
"...We are in the 17th or 18th century, in France. A president has replaced the King at the head of the state. We are busy around him. I catch a man reaching under his coat to grab something. I leap onto him and snatch his weapon. A Chinese delegation arrives. Indeed, a meeting of all Heads of State will take place shortly to discuss the concept of 'power'. The leader of the delegation approaches and asks for permission to pose a question related to the reflection on the concept of power. He says to the president, 'Have you considered the importance of the principle of verticality in defining power?' Upon hearing this, the president gets angry: 'What is he talking about? Verticality, verticality, but he can go to hell with his verticality!!' The Chinese are forced to flee, and we chase after them..."

44/
the dream about the disappearance of President Claude Mitterand

"...President Mitterrand is participating in an official celebration. Suddenly, his entourage realizes that he's no longer there. He has disappeared into the crowd. Panic ensues. Searches are organized. Hypotheses are put forward. Photos are analyzed to try to determine which direction he went. In the photos, a group of young people is spotted. Could they be terrorists? They are searched for and found. A false lead. Night falls. I go to the beach, slip under a concrete building. There, on the sand, I see a figure lying down. I think I recognize him. Gently, I say, 'Claude, Claude!' Seeing him wake up, I correct myself: 'Mr. President, Mr. President, everyone is looking for you!' Then, I tell him what happened; he doesn't seem to be too concerned. Later, he rejoins his group, to everyone's relief..."

45/
the dream about the anti-Semitic attack
"...We are in an apartment that reminds me of the family apartment. A woman suddenly says, 'I can't open the front door!' I come to take a look, and at that moment, the door is forced open. I only see the woman's astonished face, and I have just enough time to close the door to the hallway leading to the bedrooms. I ask for help to barricade the door. We are under attack. Probably by anti-Semites..."
46/
the dream about the converting people
"...In a large low-ceilinged hall, a battle with edged weapons has broken out. I have a slingshot. We are overwhelmed by our attackers. I can't find any more stones to launch. It seems that the lives of our people are spared, but we must convert. Long lines of men and women stretch out in the bush, waiting for conversion. But some people are moving in the opposite direction. I meet a man, and we leave together. We reach the top of a staircase wrapped around a central pillar. I grip it with both hands, and supported by centrifugal force, I descend silently, no longer touching the ground with my feet. My friend follows me. When we reach the ground floor, I confidently lead him towards the exit, the exit of my school. We find ourselves in front of the basilica. Where will we sleep?..."

47/
the dream about the stab in the heart
"...We are a three or four-member orchestra, gathered with many other groups in a large hall. Suddenly, a terrible danger enters the room. Like everyone else, I throw myself to the ground and slide under a bed. This danger, I believe, takes on the appearance of a woman. She bends down and takes a look. I struggle to keep my eyes open, fixed and glassy, saliva drips from my mouth, I try to appear dead, as, I assume, everyone else in the room is doing. Satisfied, she straightens up and moves away a bit. I then emerge from under the bed, as I stand up, I open the blade of my pocket knife, and as the woman turns towards me, I thrust the knife into her heart. I don't wait to see if she falls, I'm already out through a French window. I walk on the gravel of a castle courtyard. I head towards the closed gate. I'm dressed in a white woman's jumpsuit, and I think I surely won't go unnoticed. As I pass through the gate, I notice a man filming the scene, and once again, I realize that I'm leaving all the traces behind to find myself without effort. I'm going home and turning myself in to the police, after letting G. know what happened..."

48/
the dream about the 179 feet deep hole
"...We're driving in a car and pass by the Moulin Rouge. We stop in front of her friend's house. He is abroad. We enter inside. On the table, there's an aquarium with some papers. For a few seconds, I mistake this friend (is she one of my friends?) for a bird. I crumble some fresh bread I picked up from the table for her, and as I offer it to her, I suddenly realize that she's a woman, not a bird. Behind us, the door opens: this friend has returned. All three of them let out an exclamation. I also shout at the same time. They introduce him to me. He is tall, fair-skinned, blond hair, I believe, and a balding head. He reminds me of Ken Kesey in the movie "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." He speaks English with her, I can't remember exactly what about. Initially, he and I eye each other with some suspicion. Then he talks to me, and she translates for me until I tell them that I speak English perfectly. They decide to go down into the hole dug under the floor. They go down the ladder, and I notice that he's one-eyed. Before they disappear, I tell them to be careful, that the hole is 179 or 279 feet deep. The hole is square, one and a half meters on each side, and it's diagonally dug. Later, Florence comes up from the hole and admits that it's not easy to dig, as you might stumble upon a gas pipe, water pipe, etc., but in the end, you have to dig..."

49/ 
the dream about Hitler's second sandwich
"...In a large room, about twenty people, all men, are sitting on the floor along the wall. They are all dressed in identical black suits and ties. Among them, I notice Hitler. In front of each person, there's a tray with a sandwich. But 2 sandwiches are missing. A man starts preparing slices of bread with butter. Hitler receives a second sandwich..."
50/
the dream about the death of the gigantic crab
"...In the room where we are, which is the West, a gigantic crab stands. It's a fight to the death between it and us. Its strength is slowly diminishing. It will die as the dinosaurs before it have died, but we are well aware that, unfortunately, in the other room, the East, an atomic beast is growing, invincible, which will soon bring about our downfall..."
51/ 
the dream about the incomprehensible word
"...All of this is happening in New York, perhaps. Several people are seated, including N. on my right. Someone is reading a text in English, a poem I think. A word I don't understand repeats several times, 'Fein' or maybe 'pein.' I ask N. for the meaning, and she tells me it means 'among the trees.' I find this response rather curious, it doesn't fit with the text. I ask someone else the same question, and they explain that it means 'during.' Throughout the reading, I feel somewhat jealous of N., seeing her apparently in her element. Later, she and I are at the home of Japanese friends, both of us lying bare-chested. I worry that she might see the fungal spots under my arms, but I realize she isn't spared either. She confides in me that she often thinks of me. I admit the same. Tenderness? Complicity? Hope for something new between us? The little Japanese child heads towards the toilet, and their parents chase after him to help, even though he seems to manage just fine on his own..."

52/ 
the dream about the bread and the matzah
"...As I approach the checkout at the self-service, I realize I've taken a slice of bread, even though I never eat it. What surprises me even more is that today is Easter, Passover! I return the slice of bread, which is slightly soiled with sauce. The cashier takes a matzah, breaks it in half, and hands me one half..."
53/
 the dream about the erection
"...I am lying down, naked except for my underwear. I'm aroused. Kari is lying next to me, playing with the fabric of my underwear with one hand. I wish she could see that I'm aroused. I run my hand through her hair. She composes herself, seeming to think that we aren't behaving as we should..."
54/
the dream about the really dirty feet
"...I wash my feet in a bathtub. They were really dirty. Then I go under the veranda and watch the famous chef preparing a kind of brownish soup. He tells me it needs to cook for 8 hours. Through the window, we spot a gray rabbit. "It's been hanging around here for a while!" the chef says. He goes out, effortlessly catches it, and slits its throat..."


55/ 
the dream about the shot through the window
"...It's a detective story, with multiple murders. They are searching for the killer. The one who knows the truth leans toward another man and whispers something to him. An arm holding a revolver appears at the window. The window opens, and a gunshot rings out. Paradoxically, the one killed is not the one who held the secret, but the one who was about to become its bearer..."


56/
the dream about the embarrassing ejaculation"...There seems to be an accident. A car might have hit someone. I approach. There's no car, but three people: a child, a woman, and her husband, an Asian man without arms or legs, I believe. I don't quite understand the situation. Under pouring rain, I get off the bus and run towards the house. I'm soaked in an instant. The mature woman offers me a drink to warm up. She notices the book I'm carrying under my arm. 'Romeo and Juliet.' I explain my reading habits, how for a long time I didn't know what a bedside book was, since I wouldn't go to sleep until I finished the whole book. The time to sleep has come. In this large room, there will be four of us sleeping in four beds: this woman, her daughter, A., and me. A. is fooling around as usual. The daughter, probably Jewish, is a very religious person. She emphasizes this by telling us she wears a one-piece bra-panties. And she also hides her legs. In a deadpan manner, I point out to her that some devout American Jewish girls hide their faces behind a mask (like a clown's, for example). She looks at me, not sure if she should believe me. In the morning, while trying to fold my sheets, I discover ejaculation stains. Taking advantage of a moment of distraction, I switch it with one of A.'s sheets. But in his turn, he discovers the stains and understands what happened. The woman has also realized what happened and makes a remark. I'm very embarrassed. I don't know what to say or do. Eventually, I leave..."

57/
 the dream about the physiognomy of cars
"...In front of a famous restaurant, along the sidewalk, the latest model cars are lined up. Additionally, in place of certain parts of the bodywork, pants stitched together, or jackets and shirts have been attached. This radically transforms the appearance of the cars, and it's quite difficult to recognize the models. However, I still manage to identify a small Mini Cooper..."
58/ 
the dream about the fatal accident
"...An accident on the street: a pedestrian has presumably been hit by a car. I only catch a brief glimpse of it. However, I distinctly see his internal 'effects' scattered over a few meters: liver, intestines, spleen, bile. Someone is trying to pick up these organs, but they keep slipping from their hands. The man lying on the ground is fully conscious, he knows he doesn't have much time left. In a newspaper, there's a photo of Johnny Halliday taken from the side. During a car race on a circuit, his car was destroyed in a massive pile-up involving dozens of competitors..."

59/
the dream about the memories
"...The ceiling is lined with hundreds of light bulbs. Each bulb corresponds to a slide. I start the projector, but right from the first slide, everything gets stuck, the carousel stops turning. The motor heats up. I unplug the power and receive a strong electric shock. I manage to remove the slide; it's completely fried. A guy gives a dirty look and sticks a large piece of black tape on someone's glasses. In the parking lot, semi-trailer trucks are lined up. On the ground, stacks of ham and cheese sandwiches, all dripping with ketchup. They're being sold by a bunch of ugly kids, about ten years old each. They cost two or three francs each. When they grab a sandwich, they squeeze it and ketchup squirts everywhere. One of them sings: 
'There are weddings...
There are memories...
There are weddings of memories...'
With a partner, we climb a massive cliff by connecting petrified sheets together. We're trying to solve a riddle. Finally, we reach the plateau. We need to break the marked trail. We throw huge rocks into the void. Columns of stone are scattered across the surface of the plateau. There are people, maybe they are refugees..."

60/ 
the dream about the exorcism
"...There are five or six of us, perhaps we are the technicians of the show. We stand in a circle around our meal. Our heads touch. I press my fingers into ears (not mine) and lead the group in a slow circular motion. Is this an exorcism? Are we silent? We sit down. A few people enter, including R. She approaches me, and without getting up, I kiss her fingers. She makes a small gesture of surprise. We perform our exorcism routine again for the newcomers. I meet Boris, accompanied by a young woman I know. We lean against a stone parapet. They talk about their plan to live abroad. I deduce that Boris has left Lucia and wants to start a new life. I look out the window of a two-story house of ochre color. Downstairs, there are two huge plastic crates filled with bread-slice sandwiches, the kind you find in London train stations, triangular sandwiches wrapped in cellophane, but these are at least a meter long. Around them is the countryside. Suddenly, everything empties out, meaning that all living beings take to their heels, so to speak, and flee to the East. Everyone moves away in an endless line where humans and animals are mixed, arranged in order of decreasing height. I had come there from Auschwitz, and I have to go back. The train connections are complicated; I've already made a mistake. R is connected to this house, her bathroom is opulent but simple, with a large bar of soap..."


61/ 
the dream about the hidden treasure
"...Is it in Crete? Or Africa? I am a sort of explorer. We are at the entrance of a cave, on a hillside. This young woman knows it contains a treasure. From a previous experience, of which only the certainty but not the memory remains, I also know that the treasure is hidden there. I enter the cave, which rather looks like a warehouse with metal shelves. I know the treasure is in a drawer. Suspecting a setup, I hide. The young woman enters, a small revolver in hand. I pounce on her, a short fight ensues, shots are fired, I disarm her. I tell her I am willing to share the treasure. Noise: we hear other explorers approaching. We quickly stage a scene: we bring out a few old papers, we will say that this was the treasure. They come in. They started from Israel and have been on the road for a month. We show them the old papers..."


62/
 the dream abour food preservation
"...A refrigerated truck broke down and its contents spoiled. I ask myself the question: how in the past were food items preserved? With ice, and now they are also dehydrated, freeze-dried..."
63/
 the dream about the vanilla ice cream
"...An ice dispensing machine. There are no more cones. When the machine starts, I reach out my hand and vanilla ice cream accumulates on my palm..."
64/
 the dream about Isabel
"...Sitting at the café, I flip through the newspaper 'Libération' and am amazed when I come across a full page of photos about the escape, or perhaps the flight, of Isabel. And looking up, even more astonished to find her in front of me, working as a waitress in this café..."

65/
 the dream about the nuclear explosion
"...I'm watching a movie in a cinema in Montreuil, accompanied by Pierre. Suddenly, the floor and the seats start vibrating. Could it be an earthquake? It lasts a few seconds and then an unbearable flash of light in front of us, around us, on the screen, in a split second, I understand that a nuclear bomb has exploded, that we are all burning, that it's the end. And so I think to myself, it has finally happened..."
66/ 
the dream about the water stories
"...A person enters an airlock that leads to an underground swimming pool. I become worried when I don't see them coming back. I want to call for help, but my voice is very hoarse, and inaudible sounds come out of my throat. A young girl arrives and helps me open the airlock: several layers of rubber stacked together. She walks away. I learn that a rescue aerial expedition has gone missing. Across the street, young people are singing. I cross the road and try to describe the situation to them. They approach the pool and burst into laughter. Then they move away, and I, furious, shout at them (my voice has returned), "You're Belgians, aren't you?" They confirm that they are. "Well, I am too, and if there's one thing I hate, it's Belgians!" I continue hurling insults at them; they throw a bucket of water in my face. I try to grab the bucket and bite the guy's hand. He steps on my foot, pours the remaining water over my head, and walks away. I attempt to trip him..."
67/
the dream about the ashes
"...I'm told that cigarette ashes should never be left lying around, as they are breeding grounds for bacteria and deadly stinging flies could find a suitable environment to proliferate. Humans have already been killed by these flies. Therefore, cigarette ashes must be immediately thrown into the trash..."

68/
the dream about the summer camp
"...We won't go to Auschwitz for vacation this time. We're heading to a less crowded camp: Majdanek? Treblinka? We're by the lakeside that probably borders the camp. I hook a fish. It puts up quite a fight. I pull it out of the water. It looks like a carp; thirty to forty centimeters long. Now it lies on the grass, the hook still in its mouth. As someone who has never actually fished in my life, I don't know how to take the hook off. Its eye stares at me, and I think about the ashes from the crematoriums that have likely been poured into this lake and have become part of the food chain that allowed generations of carp to thrive until one of them got caught on my fishing rod..."






alain@baczynsky.art