The Philadelphia Art Museum (PhAM) opens "Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100," a traveling exhibition celebrating the centennial of surrealism. The show features works by Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Leonora Carrington, and Man Ray, including Dalí's lobster telephone and pieces inspired by Greek mythology. It is the final and only American stop on the tour, previously shown in Brussels, Paris, Hamburg, and Madrid, and runs through February 16, 2026.
This exhibition matters because it marks a major milestone for PhAM, which recently underwent a controversial rebranding, and offers a comprehensive look at surrealism's enduring influence. The show highlights how surrealists used monsters and dreamlike imagery to respond to political upheaval, including the rise of Franco and Hitler, and features a curation exclusive to Philadelphia that focuses on artists who fled to Mexico and the U.S. during World War II. It also connects to local art scenes, with a mobile by Philadelphia-born Alexander Calder included.