An extensive exhibition spanning the full range of mediums, methods and meanings behind one of the most revolutionary art movements is now open at Tate Modern.
Pioneered by the poet Andre Breton, surrealism embodied change in more than just art – it transformed literature, culture and the entire human experience by uniting the dreams of a boundless imagination with the far-reaching possibilities of life itself.
In his 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, Breton described it as “thought in the absence of all control exercised by reason”. Prevalent through the 1920s to 1950s, surrealism became a playground for magic and mysticism, alternative reality, the unexpected and unconventional.
Ramses Younan Untitled 1939 Sheikh Hassan M. A. Al-Thani © Estate of Ramses Younan
But the Tate’s refreshing approach goes beyond the traditional confines of 20s France and beyond Europe, uncovering unique surrealist movements from around the world spanning 50 years – through Tokyo and Mexico City, Prague, Cairo and Buenos Aires.
As we continue to challenge the structures that previously upheld the world we lost in 2019, it has never been more appropriate to step into a landscape that confronts, interrogates and defies. It is a pathway to change, dreams, fears, desires, a search for meaning to answer the underlying questions about who we are, where we’re going, and what we should – and shouldn’t – be.
The exhibition runs through to 29 August. Tickets are available here.
