Surrealism - The Art of Architectural Space

Surrealism sought to create a new reality fed by the dream world and the unconscious; shaking the reign of reason; and making desire dominant. It first emerged in literature, then encompassed "found objects," painting, photography, and sculpture. Although it is a common belief that one cannot speak of surrealist architecture, surrealists were always intertwined with the city and space. They imagined spaces that blended architecture with other arts. They dealt with an architecture that highlighted poetry, chance, desire, myths, and origins against the strict rationality and functionalism of modernist architecture. They searched for the lost "home," both metaphorically and literally. This compilation begins with studies evaluating the relationship between surrealism and architecture and modernity. It continues with articles tracing the presence of Paris in the lives and writings of the surrealists. Following these are writings examining the spaces of some surrealism exhibitions held in Paris and New York, as well as Kiesler's designs. Short texts on architecture by Bataille, Éluard, Aragon, Tzara, Dalí, Arp, Matta, and Kiesler constitute the final section of the compilation.