From 6th February to 11th May 2025, the Fundación MAPFRE Recoletos Hall is hosting an exhibition that delves into how André Breton's First Surrealist Manifesto, published in 1924, was received and how it shaped art. The exhibition highlights the diverse interpretations and expressions of the surrealist movement.
Marking the centenary of the manifesto’s publication on 15th October 1924, this exhibition examines its impact in Spain and the wider influence of surrealism as a whole. Despite Spain not being at the heart of the European avant-garde scene, it made significant contributions to the movement, producing key artists like Salvador Dalí and Óscar Domínguez. The exhibition also sheds light on lesser-known figures, such as Nicolás de Lekuona, Amparo Segarra, and José Alemany, who created their art outside the mainstream in Spain and Latin America. Furthermore, it recognises the important contributions of women to the movement, with a focus on artists like Remedios Varo and Maruja Mallo.
Curated by Estrella de Diego, this exhibition is part of an international celebration marking 100 years since the First Surrealist Manifesto was published. It follows presentations at the Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts in Brussels and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. After Madrid, it will travel to the Hamburger Kunsthalle in Germany and the Philadelphia Museum of Art in the US.
Image Credit:
Marcel Jean. Surrealist Wardrobe (Armoire surréaliste), 1941 Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris © Marcel Jean Photo: © Paris, Les Arts Décoratifs/Jean Tholance
Remedios Varo. Icon, 1945. Oil, mother-of-pearl inlays, and gold leaf on wood. Closed: 60 × 38.2 × 35 cm / Open: 60 × 70 × 35 cm. MALBA Collection, Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires. Inv. No.: 1997.02. © Remedios Varo; VEGAP, Madrid, 2025. Photo: Nicolás Beraza
Dorothea Tanning. Birthday, 1942. Oil on canvas. 102.2 × 64.8 cm. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia. 125th Anniversary Acquisition. Purchased with funds contributed by C.K. Williams II, 1999. Inv. No.: 1999-50-1. © Dorothea Tanning; VEGAP, Madrid, 2025. Photo: Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art © Philadelphia Museum of Art
