Ghost of a Dream. Dream Home (2009). Discarded Lottery Tickets Wood and Mixed Media Dimensions variable, 8 panels plus furnishings and paintings. The Collaborative Project of Lauren Was and Adam Eckstrom – winner of the very first Young Masters Art Prize in 2009.
Ghost of a Dream is the New York–based collaborative project of Lauren Was and Adam Eckstrom, who transform the discarded remnants of popular culture into sculptures and installations that embody humanity’s hopes, desires, and illusions. Mining materials such as used lottery tickets, romance novels, and religious tracts, they create visually dazzling works that carry an undercurrent of poignancy and critique. Their art explores the fragile line between aspiration and disappointment, revealing the dreams and fantasies people cling to in search of love, wealth, or salvation.
In their own words: “Whether it is a romance novel that someone reads to enter into a dream reality; a religious tract promising the glory of eternal life; or a lottery ticket that gives the possibility of a future full of rich decadence—we use these remnants to re-create people’s dreams.”
Ghost of a Dream rose to prominence as the inaugural winners of the Young Masters Art Prize in 2009 with Dream Home, an immersive installation constructed from discarded lottery tickets and domestic furnishings. Since then, they have exhibited widely across the United States, Europe, and Asia, with solo and group shows in New York, London, Berlin, Basel, Copenhagen, Bologna, and Beijing. Their work has been featured in major museum exhibitions, public art commissions, and critical publications, including 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow (Thames & Hudson).
Recent Public Art Installations include: Remember When Tomorrow Came (permanent installation, IS653, Brooklyn, NY, 2024), The Dreamer of Dreams (La Napoule Art Foundation, France, 2024), Aligned by the Sun (connections) (Penn Station Departure Hall, Art at Amtrak, New York, 2023)
Recent Solo Museum Exhibitions: I know a place where they perform miracles, Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington, VA, 2024; Yesterday is Here, MassArt Art Museum (MAAM), Boston, MA, 2023; Aligned by the Sun (through the revolution), Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill, NC, 2023
Adam Eckstrom has also curated Marker Emblem Symbol Signal at the New York Historical Society Museum through his artist-led platform, ArtForArtists.
Their work has been profiled in Forbes, Stir World, and numerous art publications, cementing their reputation as one of today’s most innovative collaborative artist duos. By creating “opulence from trash,” Ghost of a Dream invite viewers to reflect on collective fantasies, fleeting pleasures, and the pressing challenges of a consumer-driven world.