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Surrealism In Architecture: The Illustrators Guide Through Penumbra

Part 2 Dissertation 2023
Nicholas Morrison
Birmingham City University | UK
Surrealism, derived from the post-modernist movement, aims to create alternate realities by reshuffling elements from our existing reality. Architecturally, Arata Isozaki's work shares similarities with surrealism, challenging conventional notions of space and form through the reassembly of pre-existing objects, transcending the physical realm and evoking wonder and mystery. This highlights the potential of surrealism in architecture to combine elements from different cultures, addressing the issues of culture and legacy while elevating the human experience, and fostering a deeper phenomenological connection in imaginative architectural spaces.

Despite its capacity to create these experiences and its potential in the architectural realm, surrealism remains one of the most underexplored and under-translated post-modern movements in the built environment. This paper dissects and explores surrealism as an epistemological tool, challenging established norms and perspectives. It investigates objects and concepts found in surrealist works by artists such as Giorgio De Chirico, Salvador Dali, and Rene Magritte, analyzing their core characteristics and comparing them to the works of Isozaki; theorizing the application of surrealistic principles in order to imaginatively transform the dynamics of the built environment.

Nicholas Morrison

Tutor(s)
Rachel Sara
2023
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