Transp
planted
Exposition Internationale du SurrĂŠalisme, Paris 1938
International Surrealist Exhibition, New Burlington Galleries, London June 1936. View of the main gallery. Courtesy: National Galleries Scotland
Diana Brinton-Lee, Salvador Dalí (in diving suit), Rupert Lee, Paul Éluard, Musch Éluard, ELT Mesens at the International Surrealist Exhibition in London (1936). Courtesy: Tate Archive
Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism, Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1936 - 1937. Courtesy: MOMA Archive
Installation photograph. Courtesy: MOMA Archive
the forerunners of Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme, the International Surrealist Exhibition in 1936 and Fantastic Art, Dada, Surrealism in 1937, though involving some of the same artists (e.g. Andre Breton, Paul Eluard & Man Ray) and artworks, remained, in terms of exhibition spaces, essentially white-cubes and therefore not “Surrealist” enough...
140, Rue du Faubourg Saint-HonorĂŠ, Paris (2011) Courtesy: Erbauer/Architekt des Hauses nicht bekannt
Invitation to Exposition internationale du SurrĂŠalisme at Galerie des Beaux-Arts, Paris, 1938 Courtesy: Librarie Solstices
The 1938 Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme was took place from January 17 to February 24, 1938, in the Galérie Beaux-Arts, run by Georges Wildenstein, at 140, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris. The fact that the Surrealists were able to hold their exhibition at this ‘fashionable’ and ‘conservative’ venue manifested the increasing recognition that Surrealism was garnering.
Andre Breton. Photo by Man Ray, c.1930.
Portrait of Marcel Duchamp. Photo by Viktor Obsatz, New York, 1953.
Andre Breton, the Surrealists’ brain & theorist, and Paul Eluard were the organisers of the exposition. Marcel Duchamp assumed the role of the ‘curator’ as stated on the cover of the 8-page catalogue of the event (see next page). He was in charge of the exhibition design. Along with the aforementioned, Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst were listed as ‘technical advisers’, Man Ray ‘lighting technician’ and Wolfgang Paalen ‘expert for water and foliage’.
(next page: cover of the exhition catalogue, courtesy: Tate Britain)
Accompanying the exhibition, along with the listed 8-page catalogue, the Galerie Beaux-Arts published a 76-page Dictionnaire abrégé du surréalisme under the direction of Breton and Éluard. It was an encyclopedia of Surrealism with an introduction by Raymond Congniat, cover artwork by Yves Tanguy. This publication features an extensive range of illustrations and covers artists’ names, as well as “all keywords, all obsessional concepts and motives, the new inspirational image techniques and the ancestors”.
Cover of the Dictionnaire abrégé du surréalisme, courtesy: Tate Britain.
Plus belles rues de Paris
The Fore Court
Room 2
Central Room
Room 3
Fore Court with Taxi Pluvieux by Dali.
Plus belles rues de Paris from page 72 of Dictionnaire abrégé du surréalisme. Courtesy: Tate Britain.
Josef Breitenbach, Leo Malet’s mannequin (center) with Hans Bellmer’s photos and Marcel Jean’s mannequin (right). Courtesy: Collection Getty Research Institute.
previous page & this page: Views of Main Room, designed by Duchamp using 1200 coal bags hanging from the ceiling.
The original exhibition design by Marcel Duchamp is phenomenal in the sense that not only does it break from the trend of the ‘white-cube’ but it also incorporates features that engages the exhibition-goers through different senses, not just visually. For example, threre were smell of roasting coffee, screaming sounds from a hidden phonograph as well as the thick atmosphere created by the coal dust.
Transplated.
For the alternative exhibition design, I introduce the theme of the name “Transplanted.� This idea stems from the idea of the 1938 Surrealists that paintings should not be viewed as objects but rather just a means to a Surrealist experience. To further enhance the detachment of the image from the object, I design an enviroment in which the audience are bound to be discombobulated. By confusing their beaings of the inside - outside, up - down as well as their awareness of whether they are looking at an illusion or the real image, I seek to fully immerse the audience, in this case, not just physically but also mentally and intellectually.
Transplated., Conceptual Sketch.
Viewing device, Initial Sketch.
Mirror
45 degs.
Illusion
Painting
Development of viewing device.
Main rooms with viewing devices
Dali’s Taxi Pluvieux
Faceted mirrors
Not dressed mannequins with mirror as heads Artist-dressed mannequins ‘Living room objects’ e.g. Dali’s Lobster phone
Transplated., Floor plan.