Curatorial Tour 

In the exhibition ​“Fantastic Surrealists” curator Sandro Droschl offers a refreshing insight into the fantastic and its hitherto less considered dimensions. Fantastic Realism is presented as a distinctive Austrian contribution to the international art scene of the last decades, which developed at the same time as the comparatively more influential Viennese Actionism. Although these two currents developed in contrasting ways and, for different motivations, stood in the shadow of the influential Abstract Expressionism, Fantastic Realism seemingly faded away.
 
Currently, interest in the many facets of Surrealism and its enduring manifestations is experiencing a remarkable renaissance, especially after the recent Venice Biennale. This perspective raises the question to be asked anew: Don’t Fantastic Realism and its works carry within them a subtly nuanced language play that locates the fantastic not primarily within Realism, but rather at the heart of Surrealism?
 
The reflection also suggests whether the subtle dialogue between the surreal and the real is not the missing key to contemporary fruitful contemplation. In this stimulating discussion, the possibility of gaining a deeper understanding and developing a renewed appreciation for the fascinating relationship between these seemingly opposing spheres emerges. Led by Sandro Droschl, this exhibition reveals itself as a powerful connection between past and present, between the fantastic, the surreal, and the real.