Sections

Section 1. Objets: The Relationship Between the Objective and Hyper-Reality

Surrealism exposes that which is surreal, that of a superior reality, among the things that we view as being assuredly real. The door to surrealism is opened by way of the objets of surrealists who dealt with the surreal by viewing phenomena as objects (objets in French).

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  André BRETON
  Manifeste du surréalisme. Poisson soluble [Surrealist Manifesto, Soluble fish] (First edition)
  1924
  Okazaki City Museum

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  Francis PICABIA
  Yellow Swallowtail
  1926
  Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka

Section 2. Painting: A New Door to the Visual Arts

Surrealism, which had its origins in the literary experimentation of automatism, spread to the field of painting, which had long traditions. Artists such as Max Ernst, René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, and Salvador Dalí used their very distinctive styles and techniques to depict mysterious scenes and images of people that reflected the deep psyches and dreams of humanity.

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  Yves TANGUY
  The Lost Bells
  1929
  Toyota Municipal Museum of Art

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  René MAGRITTE
  The Ready-made Bouquet
  1957
  Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka

Section 3. Photography: Images That Transform

The technology of photography that emerged in the first half of the nineteenth century would go on to transcend its original aim of capturing the subject as is, becoming one of the main forms of expression that would add flair to the art of the twentieth century. Making free use of a wide range of techniques, surrealists transformed everyday motifs into images that were novel and mysterious. Artists throughout the world, most notably Man Ray, expressed themselves through various forms of photographic art.

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  Wols
  A Beautiful Slice of Meat
  1939
  Private Collection

Section 4. Advertising: Compositions That Function

The theme of this show is surrealism's expansion into other fields. Starting with Section 4, the show expands its perspective to include areas beyond objets, photography, and painting. This section focuses on very appealing advertising in which artists employed techniques frequently utilized in surrealism, such as dépaysement, collage, and photomontage.

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  Kurt SELIGMAN
  Poster: Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme [International Exhibition of Surrealism]
  1938
  Suntory Poster Collection (deposited in Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka)
  (on display starting January 27, 2026)

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  Fritz BÜHLER
  Poster: Giodux
  1934
  Utsunomiya Museum of Art
  (on display starting January 27, 2026)

Section 5. Fashion: Arousing Desire

Surrealism was closely associated with fashion. In addition to utilizing surrealist techniques in fashion and fashion magazines, surrealist artists drew inspiration from the objectification of the bodies of mannequins that wore clothing. This section explores the relationship between fashion and surrealism.

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  Wols
  Untitled
  1937 (printed in 1979)
  Yokohama Museum of Art
  (on display starting January 27, 2026)

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  Elsa SCHIAPARELLI
  Evening Dress (Circus Collection)
  1938
  Iwami Art Museum
  (on display until January 25, 2026)

Section 6. Interiors: Transforming Interior Spaces

For surrealism, which aimed to be discomforting and shake people's view of reality, overturning the stable order of interior spaces in which daily life occurred was very meaningful. Even indoor furniture was transformed into strange objects with organic features. This section presents examples of how surrealism became involved in interior spaces.