Di Donna Gallery is opening a show of Mexican Surrealism. Di Donna says the move to the New World created liminal space for Surrealist artists. “Many principles that had defined the Surrealist movement were broadened and transformed in response to a new topography, new cultures, and the experience of exile,” Di Donna believes, “toward the creation of radically innovative new styles. This vibrant art-historical episode was made possible through liberal ideas about collaboration, immigration, and gender roles. It is particularly relevant in the context of today’s cultural and political climate, where such issues remain under intense scrutiny and debate.”
Di Donna Galleries is pleased to announce Surrealism in Mexico. The exhibition explores the extraordinarily fertile art-historical moment that arose between 1940 and 1955, when a community of Surrealist artists fled World War II in Europe to settle in Mexico City.
Artists including Leonora Carrington, Matta, Gordon Onslow Ford, Wolfgang Paalen, Alice Rahon, Bridget Bate Tichenor, and Remedios Varo were influenced by the country’s culture and history, as well as the artistic community centered around Frida Kahlo‘s studio, leading to robust creative freedom. Unprecedented in the US for its size and scope, the exhibition features dozens of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs, many on loan from foundations or private collections.
Surrealism in Mexico will be on view from April 26 to June 28 at Di Donna, 744 Madison Avenue, with an opening reception on April 25 from 6 to 8 pm.