Brutalism has evolved from its humble origins—an 20th-century offshoot of late modern/postmodern architectural styles—into a distinct paradigm for a new generation grappling with climate change, global conflict, and an uncertain future that potentially threatens all forms of life on Earth. This illusion and fear both haunt and fascinate us. The material presence of Brutalism has sparked speculation and misinterpretation.

This thesis examines the materiality of Brutalism through a series of digitally processed photographs that present altered fragments of images, reassembled into a narrative that examines dreams as a backdrop for collective imagination and the collective unconscious. The central research question posits brutalist architecture as an emotional ark: can it effectively address individual fears and nightmares while fulfilling certain desires? As a relic of the last century, what is its allure today? This thesis draws on Freud’s concept of the uncanny and integrates notions such as the supernatural nature of power and ontological errors.

It begins with traditional documentary photography and confronts it with the untapped potential of innovative technologies like artificial intelligence. This creates a discourse in the ambiguous zone between the originality of art and the authenticity of images. The montage narrative approach not only reveals how brutalism serves as a utopian refuge for human desires but also suggests that what we see and hear may not always be true, let alone our own subjective and unique fantasies.