The Dream Committee

 

From its inception, Surrealism developed at the intersection of various fields—art, literature, and politics. The artists of this movement questioned existing norms, challenged familiar patterns of thought, and sought entirely new forms of expressing reality. During our meeting, we’ll focus on visual poetry—a form in which words and images meet on equal footing. We’ll explore what happens to a text when it ceases to be merely a vehicle for meaning and begins to function also through its form, layout, and materiality. We’ll explore ways to cross the boundary between literature and the visual arts, drawing inspiration from the surrealist imagination and its passion for constant experimentation.

 

In the first part , we’ll view selected works from the exhibition together—works that fascinatingly combine elements of the visual arts and literature. We’ll explore how artists of the early 20th century blurred the boundaries between these media. We’ll also examine the manifestos, flyers, and posters on display in the museum’s showcases. Those who’d like to can read selected excerpts from surrealist poems aloud, which will surely immerse us in the atmosphere of poetic readings.

In the second part , we’ll move on to hands-on activities. We’ll seek inspiration in the practices of Surrealists—from playing “exquisite corpse” to automatic writing. The final result of the session will be poems in which text and image carry exactly equal significance.

This workshop is open to anyone interested in creative work with words. We welcome both those who write frequently or occasionally, as well as those who have absolutely no experience in this area yet.

The event takes its title from the book *Conspirators of the Imagination: Surrealism* by Agnieszka Taborska.

A workshop ticket grants admission to the exhibition up to 2 hours before the event.

Mikołaj Brzozowski —an MSN educator and one half of the osesi collective. He focuses on literary outreach and collaboration with diverse local communities. Co-editor of the publication "Poetry to Immerse Yourself In. A Collection of Poems and Exercises”—a volume of poems and a toolkit for facilitating activities using contemporary poetry. He holds a degree in cultural studies.