One hundred years after its inception, the core principles of Surrealism continue to revolve around dreamlike narratives, symbolic iconography, distorted or abstract humor, illusionistic play of materials and mediums, and the stretching of rationality in pursuit of liberation. UNREAL takes a flexible, contemporaneous interpretation of these ideologies while keeping a wary eye on the complexities of current socio-political, conceptual, and philosophical concerns.
The diverse approaches to reality presented in UNREAL foreground a synchronous mode of art-making characteristic of contemporary practices. The works explore themes of fantasy, mystery, history, family, spirituality, identity, and sexuality, situating them within frameworks that initially presume coherence and legibility. However, with varying degrees of opacity and inexplicability, these artworks can destabilize these assumptions, complicating the viewer’s capacity to distinguish between the real and the constructed.
UNREAL was presented concurrently with Liliana Porter: The Strange Task from April 10 - June 13, 2026.
Featuring work by Esaí Alfredo, Dan Attoe, Ever Baldwin, Omar Barquet, Chris Bradley, Ginny Casey, Josh Dihle, Al Freeman, Nereida Garcia-Ferraz, Lola Gil, Naomi Hawksley, Rodrigo Imaz, Jared McGriff, Kitty Rauth and Nina Surel.