Developed by a young group of artists from New York, Paris, and Frankfurt in collaboration with the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, the room-filling installation En Passant makes use of unusual lighting, interesting sculptural objects, and sound in order to present a contemporary perspective on surrealism. Included in the installation—and reproduced here in nearly sixty stunning full-page photographs—are a collection of unsettling sculptural works, among them dismembered bodies and severed heads. Together, the artworks draw on common surrealist themes—including money, massacre, and the tense relationship between reason and authority— and demonstrate surrealism’s continued relevance for contemporary art. Closely linked to the surrealist practice of staging art, the installation intentionally straddles the border between exhibition and experience, leaving viewers unsure of whether the artworks are meant to be merely viewed or altered, used, or touched.

 

In addition to the many photographs, this volume also documents the development of En Passant and includes interviews with the artists, shedding light on the important influences and art historical references in the work.

Ingrid Pfeiffer is a curator at the Schirn Kunsthalle, where Max Hollein is the director.