Surrealist Ball

In the 1924 Surrealist Manifesto, the French poet André Breton defined Surrealism as “psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express—verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner—the actual functioning of thought.” Many Surrealists were inspired by the metaphor found in a 19th-century poem of a chance encounter between a sewing machine and an umbrella on a dissecting table. The post–World War I art and cultural movement galvanized by Breton, which encouraged the expression of dreams, the unconscious, and irrationality, still has resonance today—one hundred years later. Artists who were part of, or have been absorbed into, the Surrealist orbit include Max Ernst, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Dora Maar, Kay Sage, Alberto Giacometti, and Dorothea Tanning. Celebrate the centennial of this movement at our Surrealist Ball, an eccentric evening of music, poetry, photography, refreshments, and more. Surrealist-inspired costumes are encouraged, but note that oversize costumes and objects will not be allowed in the galleries. Generously sponsored by the Martin A. Ryerson Lectureship Fund.