The Instrument of Troubled Dreams was set up in the High Choir of the Oude Kerk. Slowly, the more than seven centuries of the church's existence blended with the here and now, creating a poignant moment in the consciousness of Amsterdam's oldest building. Facing the light from the east, visitors were able to play a so-called mellotron, a sound installation in which 28 speakers restructured the space. The mellotron had 72 keys, each key programmed to play a different sound effect, VOC al track, or musical part.

The work revolved around a narrative composed especially for the Oude Kerk, constructed through elements of spoken word and music (including Sweelinck played on the Vater-Müller Organ and the Sweelinck cantorry of the Oude Kerk congregation). Additionally, sounds were recorded in and around the Oude Kerk in the months before the opening: water, the wind, the chiming of the its bell and the creaking of the ceiling. While playing, visitors created a cinematic environment, allowing them to experience the church differently. Memory, unpredictability and the mystery of technology played a role in creating a temporary soundtrack for the space.