Beyond Reality: The Lasting Impact of Surrealism

As museums across the globe commemorate the centenary of Surrealism, this movement has transcended its original bounds and has become more familiar than ever. Notably, the 2022 Venice Biennale, curated by Cecilia Alemani, was aptly titled The Milk of Dreams, immersing visitors in Surrealist themes. In tandem, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum showcased Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity, further highlighting the movement’s relevance. The intersection of art and the occult has also captured significant attention, exemplified by the success of the Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian: Forms of Life exhibition at Tate Modern in 2023. Additionally, galleries are increasingly showcasing Surrealist artists; Karma Gallery has brought attention to mid-century American Surrealist Gertrude Abercrombie, whilst Ben Hunter Gallery recently exhibited the works of British Surrealist Ithell Colquhoun. 

The Angel of the home (the Triumph of Surrealism), 1937 by Max Ernst

This year marks the 100th anniversary of André Breton's groundbreaking Manifesto of Surrealism, written in his Paris apartment on Rue Fontaine. To celebrate this milestone, museums around the world are showcasing innovative exhibitions dedicated to the movement. From the show Surrealism and Us at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas to Surrealism and the East at the West Bund Museum in Shanghai, China, institutions all around the world have showcased their recognition of Surrealism this year. While these two exhibitions have wrapped up, several shows on Surrealism are still on, and more are certainly on the horizon. In London, Levy Gorvy Dayan gallery is currently presenting Enchanted Alchemies: Magic, Mysticism, and the Occult in Art, which juxtaposes contemporary artists with Surrealist works to illuminate their connections. Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes at Hepworth Wakefield in the UK will run from November 23, 2024, to April 27, 2025, and explores Surrealist art through the lens of flora and fauna. 

Women Surrounded by the Flight of a Bird by Joan Miró

The most remarkable Surrealism exhibition currently on view is the Centre Pompidou’s Surrealism, open from September 4, 2024, to January 13, 2025. The exhibition honours Surrealism's origins, with André Breton famously writing the manifesto in Paris. France was home to some of the movement's most renowned figures, including Marcel Duchamp, Dora Maar, and André Masson. Beyond these icons, artists from around the world flocked to Paris during this vibrant period. To illustrate the city's influential role in the Surrealist movement, consider the following anecdote: In 1936, the German-born artist and photographer Méret Oppenheim encountered Picasso and his lover, Dora Maar, at Café Flore. At just 23, Oppenheim was wearing a brass cuff covered in ocelot fur that she had designed for the Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli. Upon noticing it, Picasso teasingly suggested that all kinds of objects could surely be wrapped in fur. Oppenheim playfully agreed, gesturing to the plate and cup on her table. This exchange inspired her to cover a cup, saucer, and spoon in the skin of a Chinese gazelle, creating the now-iconic work Fur Breakfast (1936). If you want to delve deeper into Paris's importance to Surrealism, consider reading Sue Roe's book In Montparnasse: The Emergence of Surrealism in Paris, from Duchamp to Dalí.

Green Tea, 2011 by Leonora Carrington

At the literal centre of the Pompidou exhibition is a tribute to Paris’s pivotal role in the Surrealist movement, featuring the original Surrealist Manifesto manuscript prominently displayed within the exhibition’s central “drum.” This rare artefact is accompanied by a multimedia presentation that enhances visitors' understanding of its importance. Breaking from more traditional curatorial approaches, the exhibition is designed in a spiral layout inspired by Marcel Duchamp’s renowned Surrealist exhibitions, inviting guests to meander through dreamlike experiences. With over 500 objects on display, the exhibition provides a comprehensive exploration of the movement’s global impact and rich diversity. Highlights include iconic works such as Salvador Dalí’s Lobster Telephone, alongside rarely seen pieces that showcase the movement’s fascination with the subconscious, animality, and anthropomorphism. The exhibition highlights how the Surrealism movement has transitioned from the artistic fringes to the fashionable mainstream, a position it is likely to maintain, in various forms, for the remainder of the century and beyond.

"Of all the modernist art movements, it was the surrealists who were best at enjoying their revolution. In the Pompidou’s perfectly judged exhibition, that pleasure shines through as you meet these artists, all dead now, not so much as giants of art history as extremely amusing companions." -Jonathan Jones from The Guardian

Poppy Hotel, Room 202, 1970-73 by Dorothea Tanning