Strange

August 21, 2019–January 19, 2020

Featuring works from many cultures and time periods that resonate with the spirit of Surrealism, this exhibition explores the improbable, uncanny, mysterious, and miraculous as sources of artistic inspiration.

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René Magritte: Duo, 1928; ink on paper; 19 1/4 x 23 1/4 in.; BAMPFA, museum purchase.
Masako Miki: Participation in Mysticism, 2015; silkscreen; 8½ × 11 in.; BAMPFA, gift of the artist. Photo: Courtesy the artist and CULT Aimee Friberg Exhibitions.

Upcoming
Films
Upcoming
Events
Selected
Objects
Past
Films
Past
Events

Past Events

Saturday, December 7, 2 PM
Workshop: Your Thriving Space

Join artists Marcela Pardo Ariza and Juan Carlos Rodríguez Rivera to build a surrealist tiny set, creating a space of possibility.

BAMPFA

Programmed by Denise Kan
Saturday, November 16, 1 PM
Exquisite Corpse Workshop

To celebrate the centennial of Surrealism, poet Rod Roland and daughter Coco lead an all-ages workshop in creating collaborative drawings and writings using the Surrealist exquisite corpse technique.

BAMPFA
Saturday, October 12, 1:30 PM
Sign Language–Interpreted Tour: Strange

Explore the spirit of Surrealism with a special guided tour of Strange featuring expert ASL interpretation.

BAMPFA
Monday, September 30, 6:30 PM
What Is Strange? Rabih Alameddine and Lawrence Rinder in Conversation

Beirut- and Bay Area–based, internationally acclaimed author Rabih Alameddine joins BAMPFA Director and Chief Curator Lawrence Rinder for a conversation on concepts of “strangeness.”

BAMPFA
Saturday, September 21, 1:30 PM
Symposium: Gordon Onslow Ford: A Man on a Green Island

Exploring the multifaceted work of British-born American painter Gordon Onslow Ford, this symposium features talks by contributors to the recent monograph Gordon Onslow Ford: A Man on a Green Island.

BAMPFA

Copresented by the Lucid Art Foundation
Wednesday, September 11, 6:00 PM
Curator's Circle: Strange Wine & Walkthrough

Director and Chief Curator Lawrence Rinder joins Curator’s Circle members for a festive reception at Babette, followed by a tour of the thought-provoking exhibition Strange.

BAMPFA

Open to Curator’s Circle members at the $1,000 level and above
Selected Wednesdays and Sundays
Guided Tours: Strange

Explore the spirit of Surrealism with a guided tour of Strange.

BAMPFA
Wednesday, August 21, noon
Curator's Talk: Lawrence Rinder on Strange

An engaging walkthrough of the exhibition with its curator, who discusses themes of drama and memory, miracles and coincidence, myth and magic, and artistic oddities.

Past Films

Strange

August 21, 2019–January 19, 2020

It has been a century since the Surrealist movement exploded across the global cultural scene. Surrealism championed the creative power of the unconscious and the value of irrational thoughts and imagery. It was a movement with enormous impact in the visual arts, film, performing arts, and literature; yet the spirit of Surrealism preceded the movement itself, and extraordinary antecedents can be found across many centuries and in cultures around the world. While the Surrealists sought out feelings of strangeness—of the improbable, uncanny, mysterious, and miraculous—the strange has always been a source of artistic inspiration, and continues to fascinate us today.

Strange features diverse works from BAMPFA’s collection that invoke strangeness and resonate with the spirit of Surrealism. The exhibition goes well beyond the strictly historical bounds of the Surrealist movement itself to explore art from many cultures and time periods. Among the themes it touches on are dreams and visions, wonders and miracles, myth and magic, and life and death. Strange includes works from Asia, Europe, and the Americas made over the past five hundred years. Among the artists represented are Diane Arbus, William Blake, Louise Bourgeois, Bruce Conner, Sylvia Fein, Francisco Goya, Nancy Grossman, Robert Gutierrez, Ynez Johnston, René Magritte, Maruyama Okyo, Ariel Parkinson, Maija Peeples-Bright, Iris Polos, Achilles Rizzoli, Cindy Sherman, Jack Smith, and Ruth Wall.

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Strange is organized by Director and Chief Curator Lawrence Rinder; Associate Curator Stephanie Cannizzo; Carmel and Howard Friesen Engagement Associate and Academic Liaison Lynne Kimura; and Associate Film Curator Kate MacKay.