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A magical storybook is a literary masterpiece that transports the reader into an enchanting realm filled with adventure, fantasy, and wonders. These storybooks possess the extraordinary ability to captivate the reader's imagination and immerse them in a world filled with mystical creatures, heroic journeys, and awe-inspiring events. Within the pages of a magical storybook, the reader embarks on a journey beyond the confines of reality, where anything is possible. As they turn each page, they are transported to lands far away, encountering characters such as courageous knights, mischievous fairies, powerful wizards, and frightening beasts. The reader becomes a part of these fantastical tales, embarking on quests and facing challenges alongside the story's heroes and heroines. The magic of these storybooks lies in their ability to evoke emotions, stimulate curiosity, and spark the reader's creativity.

noun
1. art movement: an early 20th-century movement in art and literature that tried to represent the subconscious mind by creating fantastic imagery and juxtaposing elements that seem to contradict each other
2. type of art: surreal art or literature

Actual members of the movement included German Max Ernst, the Frenchman Jean Arp, and the American painter and photographer Man Ray from 1924 onwards. In addition, the exhibition highlighted the central contribution of women, which comes to the fore in works by artists such as Leonora Carrington, Leonor Fini, Jacqueline Lamba, Kay Sage, Dorothea Tanning, and Remedios Varo.

The magic of these storybooks lies in their ability to evoke emotions, stimulate curiosity, and spark the reader's creativity. The vivid descriptions of captivating landscapes, magical spells, and epic battles awaken the reader's senses, enabling them to envision and experience the fantastical world within the story. They become engrossed in the narrative, eagerly unraveling its secrets and eagerly anticipating what lies ahead.

Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted modernity – Dreams, desire and total delirium at the Barberini

A new show at the Barberini reveals the influence of the occult on the Surrealists, with a special focus on the magical, dreamlike world of Mexican artist Leonora Carrington.

The Nazi’s invasion of France in 1940 could have spelled the end for Surrealism. But as the artists scattered around the world, chased out of their Parisian ateliers and into exile in North America and Mexico, the movement expanded and diversified. New landscapes and cultures charged their paintings with fresh, revolutionary magic. In Mexico, émigré artists like Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo incorporated pre-Hispanic history and traditions of witchcraft into their work. Fused with their subversive political agenda, these new influences were a crucial step in the movement’s rejection of a mundane worldview in favour of dreams, desire and total delirium.

“Magic was a state that completely dissolved the boundaries that existed between the real and imaginary,” says Daniel Zamani, the curator of the exhibition Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity, now on at the Barberini Museum. “They wanted to inspire a spiritual reawakening and magic became the perfect metaphor for that rejuvenation.” Formed in the gloomy aftermath of World War I, the Surrealists believed that the prison house of logic led Western societies on an inevitable path to war. Only by embracing the unconscious could they free themselves from the chains of civilisation and ultimately transform the world.

Surrealists believed that the prison house of logic led Western societies on an inevitable path to war

The large-scale exhibition is the first to ever focus on the Surrealists’ link with magic. Made in collaboration with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, it brings together more than 90 paintings from as many as 50 different countries, upending the view that it was purely a French movement of the 1920s and 1930s by demonstrating its extraordinary transnational scope. As well as featuring works by well-known Surrealists like Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst, who both escaped to the US, the exhibition puts an emphasis on women artists such as Dorothy Tanning and the now hugely-popular Leonora Carrington. The entire end room of the exhibition is dedicated to the paintings of the British-born Mexican artist, who inspired this year’s Venice Biennale, The Milk of Dreams.

It includes the monumental canvas ‘Sueño (Nephesh as the Soul in a State of Sleep)’, a swirling, mystical universe populated with goddesses, phantoms and otherworldly creatures. Carrington’s unsettling, dreamlike worlds of mutability and transformation contrast with the machismo of most Surrealism. Asserting her own femininity and sexuality, she placed nightmarish creatures into kitchens, drawing rooms and other familiar domestic scenes. “Occultism and alchemy were key themes running through her entire oeuvre, from her early work to her death in the 21st century, as the very last of the Surrealists,” Zamani explains.

As Europe finds itself once again in the midst of conflict, the Surrealist artists are experiencing another renaissance, with international events and a rising number of exhibitions. Zamani sees this point reflected in the current vogue for fantasy adventure: “Their work is populated with fantastic beings that put you in mind of a proto-Harry Potter World or Game of Thrones,” he says. “Surrealism speaks to us today because magic is about wish fulfilment, a power that lets us explore the unconscious.”

Although many of the paintings evoke a sense of threat – Kurt Seligmann’s ‘The Unwelcome Guests’, from 1943, is a clear critique of Nazi expansionism – the Surrealists were unwavering in their belief in regeneration. They revelled in a visionary prospect for the re-enchantment of the world and the liberation of the human spirit. “They wanted to make people in a capitalist society aware of the importance of their inner lives,” says Zamani. “That’s as relevant as ever in today’s world.”

• Surrealism and Magic: Enchanted Modernity
• Barberini, (Alter Markt Humboldtstraße 5–6, Potsdam)
• Through Jan 29, 2023
• €16 / €10 reduced

If you’re curious about more art exhibitions happening now, check out our exhibition roundup, updated weekly. Want more Berlin news and tips delivered to your inbox? Subscribe to our newsletter.

The large-scale exhibition is the first to ever focus on the Surrealists’ link with magic. Made in collaboration with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, it brings together more than 90 paintings from as many as 50 different countries, upending the view that it was purely a French movement of the 1920s and 1930s by demonstrating its extraordinary transnational scope. As well as featuring works by well-known Surrealists like Salvador Dalí and Max Ernst, who both escaped to the US, the exhibition puts an emphasis on women artists such as Dorothy Tanning and the now hugely-popular Leonora Carrington. The entire end room of the exhibition is dedicated to the paintings of the British-born Mexican artist, who inspired this year’s Venice Biennale, The Milk of Dreams.

Beyond the captivating storylines and imaginative settings, magical storybooks often convey powerful messages and lessons. Through the adventures of the characters, readers may learn about the importance of bravery, friendship, perseverance, and the triumph of good over evil. These stories provide a means of escapism, offering a temporary respite from reality while leaving a lasting impact on the reader's perspective and understanding of the world. The appeal of magical storybooks is not limited to children alone; readers of all ages are entranced by the allure and wonderment they provide. Whether enjoyed as bedtime stories, shared in reading circles, or devoured in solitude, these books have the power to transport readers to magical realms where imagination knows no bounds. In conclusion, a magical storybook is a literary treasure that possesses the power to transport readers to fantastic worlds where dreams come alive. Through their enchanting narratives, relatable characters, and thought-provoking messages, these storybooks leave an indelible mark on the reader's imagination, inspiring and captivating them long after the final page is turned..

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