KURIMANZUTTO PRESENTS ‘DIALOGUES WITH SURREALISM´

The works in Un inventario insólito: diálogos con el surrealismo (An Unlikely Inventory: Dialogues with Surrealism) establish connections with creations by historical figures such as Manuel Álvarez Bravo and Wolfgang Paalen, prominent participants in the 1940 International Surrealism Exhibition at the Galería de Arte Mexicano, the first showcase of this movement in Mexico. The contemporary artists featured in this project, whether they embrace, challenge, or distance themselves from Surrealism, contribute pieces that evoke themes and techniques characteristic of the movement, inviting the audience to explore its enduring influence in Mexico and beyond.

Surrealism, introduced in 1924 by French poet André Breton, emerged as an artistic and political movement rooted in Freud's psychoanalytic theories, aiming to unleash the creativity of the unconscious mind. During his visit to Mexico in 1938, Breton remarked that the movement had transcended European borders, controversially describing Mexico as “the most surrealist place par excellence [...] Never before have I felt how reality so splendidly fulfills the promises of dreams.” While this statement oversimplified the complex relationship between Mexican art and Surrealism and perpetuated certain reductive interpretations, the traces of the movement remain evident in contemporary artistic creations.

Artists: Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Carlos Amorales, Felipe Baeza, Iñaki Bonillas, Miguel Calderón, Jimmie Durham, Julio Galán, Roberto Gil de Montes, Kati Horna, Gabriel Kuri, Dr. Lakra, Sarah Lucas, Wolfgang Paalen, and Bárbara Sánchez-Kane.

An Unlikely Inventory: Dialogues with Surrealism. Collective exhibition.

Until January 11, 2025.

Kurimanzutto. Gob. Rafael Rebollar 94. Mexico City, Mexico.