Having emerged in Paris in the 1920s, Surrealism was characterised more by an artistic attitude of mind than a stylistic programme. In a time of political tensions, the Surrealist artists rejected repression and control, and directly expressed their fantasies, visions and fears. When we hear the term ‘Surrealism’ we think of Salvador Dalí’s melting clock-faces, the dream figures of René Magritte, the mysterious landscapes of Max Ernst.

But is there such a thing as Swiss Surrealism?

We are addressing this question for the first time in a comprehensive exhibition: with works by 60 artists, Surrealism Switzerland shows both the pioneering achievements of Swiss artists in Paris (Alberto Giacometti, Meret Oppenheim) as well as the Surrealist trends that further developed in Switzerland between the 1930s and the 1950s. Selected positions of contemporary art confirm the contemporary nature of Surrealist ways of seeing even today.