
Saw the new Surrealism exhibit at the AGO tonight. Turns out it costs $7, and I proceeded to spend my remaining $13 on a couple of cards in the gift shop. Only the main gallery is free on Wednesday nights. All of this is to say that it's definitely worth going to, and is easily the best exhibition the AGO has had since the Warhol show in 2006. Many have critiqued the AGO's new exhibition techniques; however, the architecture, unlike the ROM addition, has, overall, been well-received. I'm still on the fence: If Toronto wants to be a forerunner in new art gallery methods, however, I'd say we can't complain...
Anyway, Surreal Things explores the relationship between the Surrealism movement and Design/Commercialization. Many Surrealist painters, especially Magritte and Dali, accepted the mass production of their images. Some artists in the movement, including, I believe, Breton, thought that this industrialization was completely counter to the main tenets of Surrealism; however, I think that this a much more Dada frame of mind. Just a thought. The exhibition is not especially large, but quite cohesive. It has all the big stars and related artists -- Duchamp, Cornell, Magritte, Dali, Masson, and even a couple of films. Un Chien Andalou, not shown in Surreal Things, is short, funny and very entertaining. A good introduction to the wacky world of Surrealist Art and Film.
Surreal Things
AGO
May 9 - August 30
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