As a Child, I Used to Dream About Great Things

As a Child, I Used to Dream About Great Things is part of the artist's broader project, Do I Need a Map to Travel to the Center of the Earth?, which examines humanity's relationship with nature, scientific progress and the desire to explore beyond known boundaries.

The sculpture takes the form of an imaginary scientist's vehicle, assembled from oversized everyday objects. Its wheels, represented by an American coin and a Russian ruble, reference the twentieth-century Space Race and the competition that shaped humanity's ambitions for exploration.

Through this playful composition, Matei reflects on the relationship between childhood imagination and adult aspirations, questioning how curiosity, ambition and the pursuit of progress influence our understanding of the world.

The work celebrates the enduring human desire to discover, while inviting reflection on the motivations and consequences of exploration.