What if reality is not the only world we can live in? That question is at the heart of Live the Surreal, the new exhibition at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. From 18 September 2026, the exhibition brings together 90 works by 44 artists from around the world and explores surrealism not simply as an art movement, but as a way of looking at life.
The exhibition moves beyond the familiar story of surrealism that emerged in Paris in the 1920s. Instead, it brings together artists from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and Oceania who, in very different times and places, have used imagination to question the world around them.
Surrealism beyond Europe
War, colonialism, political oppression and social change have inspired artists to challenge established ideas of reality. In Live the Surreal, dreams, mythology, spirituality and the unconscious become ways of exploring what lies beyond the visible world.
The exhibition features internationally recognised artists including Yves Tanguy, Hans Arp and Wifredo Lam, alongside artists whose work has traditionally received less attention within the history of surrealism, such as Julio Galán, Tessa Mars, Renée Stout, Xul Solar and Sandra Vásquez de la Horra.
Rather than presenting one single definition of surrealism, the exhibition highlights the different ways artists have imagined alternative realities.
From war and revolution to dreams and spirituality
The exhibition begins with artists responding to the realities of their time. Their works reflect on themes including war, revolution, colonialism and political power. From Salvador Dalí’s depictions of war to contemporary artists addressing political and historical trauma, imagination becomes a way of confronting reality rather than escaping from it.
Visitors are then taken into the inner world, where dreams, memories, rituals and archetypes take centre stage. Works by artists including Peter Birkhäuser, Xul Solar, Murni, Renée Stout and Trevor Nickolls explore the unconscious and the hidden worlds that influence how we understand ourselves and our surroundings.
The exhibition also features several Rotterdam-based artists, including Arie van Geest, Olphaert den Otter, Ewoud van Rijn and Juul Kraijer.
Step into another world
In the final part of Live the Surreal, spirituality and the occult take centre stage. Visitors encounter different traditions and belief systems, including Afro-Cuban religions, Vodou, West African traditions and Amazonian cosmologies.
The exhibition even invites visitors to become part of the surreal experience. Cypher Studio’s interactive installation Trionfi uses archetypal imagery and unexpected associations to create a unique self-portrait for each visitor.
The museum itself also becomes part of the experience. Instead of following the traditional white-cube approach, the exhibition design gradually becomes more unconventional. In the final gallery, walls, floors and ceilings come together in a kaleidoscopic environment designed to challenge the way visitors perceive their surroundings.
Why surrealism still matters
With war, climate change and social tensions shaping the world today, the themes explored in Live the Surreal feel particularly relevant. The exhibition presents imagination not as an escape from reality, but as a tool for questioning it and imagining what might come next.
Live the Surreal is on display at Wereldmuseum Rotterdam from 18 September 2026 until 28 August 2027.
On 24 September, artist Roberta Stoddart will also give an artist talk about her work Sleepwalkers (2017), exploring themes including identity, historical trauma, awakening and the search for an authentic self.
