The Philadelphia Art Museum opened 'Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100,' a traveling exhibition marking the centenary of surrealism, which originated in France in 1924. The show, curated by Matthew Affron, features about 180 works from the museum's own collection and loans from Europe and the Americas, including pieces by Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Remedios Varo, and Joseph Cornell. The opening occurred the day after the museum's board abruptly fired CEO Sasha Suda, with interim director Louis Marchesano declining to comment on the termination and focusing on the exhibition instead.
The exhibition matters because it offers a comprehensive overview of surrealism's first 25 years, highlighting how the movement was shaped by European authoritarianism and exile into the Americas. It also underscores the Philadelphia Art Museum's strong surrealist holdings, thanks to major donations from collectors Walter and Louise Arensberg and Albert Gallatin. As the fifth and final stop of an international tour, the show provides a unique opportunity to see surrealist works in a new curatorial context, while the museum's leadership turmoil adds a layer of institutional drama.