Friday 19 July 2013

The Star Alphabet of E.L.T. Mesens

Dada and Surrealism in Brussels, Paris and London

The Star Alphabet of E.L.T. Mesens
Mu.Zee, Oostende
July 6-November 11, 2013
website: http://www.muzee.be/mesens/

Édouard Léon Théodore Mesens (1903-1971) was one of the most important international protagonists in the art world of the first half of the 20th century. He was a flamboyant and talented artist: a musician, poet, publisher, photographer, curator, art dealer and collector. This exhibition brings the fascinating story of Dadaism and Surrealism to life via Mesens’ exceptional collages, writings and publications.
Part of the Surrealist movement from the very beginning, E.L.T. Mesens was one of its most powerful driving forces. He played an active role in the European international art scene and, from as early as the 1920s, could count people like the Romanian poet Tristan Tzara, the Dutch artist Theo van Doesburg and the French composer Erik Satie as friends.
 
Mesens is the man who gave René Magritte international fame and who introduced Surrealism to England. He was friends with numerous artists, including Roland Penrose, Lee Miller, Kurt Schwitters, Max Ernst, André Breton and Man Ray. From 1938 to 1950 he was director of The London Gallery where René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, Giorgio de Chirico and Pablo Picasso all exhibited their work. Mesens completely dedicated his life to poetry and the imagination. In the 1950s, he focused on making collages and initiated major exhibitions in the Casino of Knokke.
 
Discover Dada and Surrealism in Brussels, Paris and London. The exhibition The Star Alphabet of E.L.T. Mesens contains numerous works of art, writings and archive photos by René Magritte, Man Ray, Lee Miller, Paul Klee, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Paul Delvaux, Yves Tanguy, Amedeo Modigliani, Desmond Morris, Kurt Schwitters and many others!
 
A catalogue is available.

No comments: