Marking the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first surrealist manifesto in 1924, a new exhibition focusing on surrealism has been organized at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai.
Surrealism – of all the Western art movements in the early 20th century – had perhaps the most profound cultural impact.
Titled "Fantastic Visions: 100 Years of Surrealism from the National Galleries of Scotland," the exhibition showcases 100 major works by some of the world's most important surrealist artists, drawn entirely from the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. All the works on display have come to China for the very first time. The images reflect the artists' journeys into the human psyche.
Simon Groom, Director of Modern and Contemporary Art at National Galleries of Scotland, expands on the exhibition and his trips to China.
"Each time I come to China, it's like a revelation for me"
Reporter: You have been to China more than 20 times. How do you like this trip so far?
Groom: Each time I come to China, it's like a revelation for me. China changes so fast. When I first came to China in 1990, it was a bit like going back 500 years. When I come to China now, it's like looking at the future and all the possibilities. So, for a person like me, being curious about the world, every time I come back is an absolute pleasure. I love being here.
"The great gift of surrealism makes anything possible"
Reporter: This exhibition, “Fantastic Visions”, gathers masters of surrealism, bringing over 100 works, including paintings, sculptures, collages, photography and so on… tell us more about this exhibition.
Groom: What we have in this exhibition is over 120 works, which we hope will present audiences, maybe for the first time, a fantastic overview of surrealism – from works going just before surrealism till about the 1960s. Everybody thinks she or he knows what a work of surrealism is. The thing about surrealism is that it's not one style. You can have those hyper realistic depictions of things that don't exist, to abstraction. You have a whole range of style, and I think that's the essence of surrealism. It gives you freedom, and it gives you freedom in a way to depict the things that don't really exist, but are suggestive or unlock the imagination. And that gives it great power.
Surrealism is a way of picturing almost what it is to be human. It's not the world around you. It's the world within you. And that's the big shift. Once you start picturing the world within you, you have all kinds of crazy possibilities. If anything suddenly you can think of becomes a subject for art, then it opens up what art is completely. And I think that's the great gift of surrealism – in a way, it makes anything possible.
"We are now terrifically proud of working with the museum here"
Reporter: This is the first cooperative venture between the National Galleries of Scotland and the Museum of Art Pudong. Do you want to have ties with other museums in China as well?
Groom: We are now terrifically proud of working with the museum here and to be able to bring this world-class collection, “Surrealism”, to the audiences here for the first time. We hope it will be something that will make people dream.
"Art erases boundaries that people and countries draw between themselves"
Reporter: What does this cross-cultural experience mean to you?
Groom: Art is one of the most human forms of expression. It's the most direct form of communication. Every country, (or even) every community in a country, has its own art form. The reason we built these massive palaces to art, the reason that we value art so highly, is precisely because it communicates on a level that, with time, everybody can understand. It erases those boundaries that people and countries throw up between themselves. And in the end, it's about being human. It's about communicating what it means to be alive at a particular time, at a particular place. That's what I hope that this exhibition, even though a lot of it was from over 100 years ago (can show). It's talking about something that all of us are involved in – which is about being human, being alive. None of us has all the answers, but all of us feel.
"Dali Telephone is one of the key works in the history of art"
Reporter: Do you have a favorite work in this exhibition?
Groom: Possibly in painting, because it is an enigma, is the (Rene) Magritte – which is like a mirror and it has writing on it. In a mirror, normally you see yourself reflected, but what you see reflected in a mirror in front of you is the human body. Instead of seeing the human body, it's written 'the human body' in French. Again, it's that play of how do you understand something. And then, maybe, as an object, there's no better example than the “Dali Telephone,” which is a telephone with a lobster as handset. They are key works in the history of art, forever.
"I hope we can bring it to other museums around the country, so that more people can experience it"
Reporter: What's your typical day like as the director of Modern and Contemporary Art at National Galleries of Scotland?
Groom: I enjoy the job I do because there are no two days that are similar. But there are concerns that are similar. So, every day, I'm thinking about what will make for a good exhibition. What does art do? What relevance does all this have in people's lives? Picasso always said he has spent his whole life trying to learn, to see, as a child again. I think there's some sense in that, in trying to see the world for the first time, beyond habit, beyond all those ways of looking. I think that's the most valuable thing for me. And I really do hope that we can find ways to bring it to other museums around the country, so that it can expand the number of people who have an opportunity to come to see the exhibition.