Marseille : The Cantini Museum invites you to dream

Numerous artists worked ont the dream thematic as a way to transgress the art boundaries.

Later, when Freud wrote about dreams as a privileged access to unconscious, artists worked on their inner dialogues and their repressed fantasis.

A fantastic base for inspiration, emotions and creation.

Up to January 22 2017, the Cantini Museum in Marseille features a superb exhibit dedicated to dreams through various artistic movements.

The exhibit présents seven chapters :

The visitor slips into the dream with La Plante à sommeil (2005) by Christophe Berdaguer and Marie Péjus, then he makes Claude Lévêque's injunction: Dream! (2008) his own.

Finally, the visitor accesses Dreams with feminine représentations by Odilon Redon, Auguste Rodin, Félix Vallotton, Salvador Dalí or by Pablo Picasso.

As per late XIXth century, symbolist artists painted the night as an introspective journey.

A vision by Victor Hugo is the begining of a journey to dream and fantasy.

Nocturnal landscapes representations by William Degouve de Nuncques and mysterious mists painted by Léon Spilliaert are an introduction to Paul Delvaux'magic.

Marx Ernst symbolises the boundary between dream and reality with his very own adaptation of forests and creatures.

Early XXth century, the birth of psychanalysis and the publication of the surrealism manifesto opens the doors to artists to explore deeply the soul's maze. An adventure they will enjoy very much.



Painting dream allows to unleash subjectivity. Victor Brauner, Yves Tanguy, Salvador Dalí, Man Ray painted their own dreamlike, fantasmatic approach of dreams. Superb paintings that will leave the visitor speechless.

The surrealist mind is infected with diaphanous or carnal feminnine représentations.

Complicated love (Félix Labisse), delicate nudes (Wilhelm Freddie), suggestives photographies by Hans Bellmer and "collages" by Jindrich Styrsky are impacted with Marquis de Sade's erotic philosophy.

Nightmare is the active phase of sleep. the phase that unleashes our demons.

From « sleep to reality » illustrated by Francisco de Goya to impossible visions painted Marcel Berronneau, artists give birth to hideous creatures: terrifying monsters; evil octopuses, ugly snakes, insects... A whole gallery of terrifying creatures.

Daydream is dear to surrealist artists. They joyfully explored and experimented unconscious ,

Sketches by Henri Michaux, photos by Raymond Hains, painting of native Dreams remind the visitor of the chromatic world of Victor Vassarely.

Not-to-be-missed: The Dreamachine (1961) by Brion Gysin. « the only artistic object one can see the eyes closed ». One can stare through shut eyelids at syncopated light ubtil he/she hallucinates.

The visito wake up experiencing Strange paintings by Bernard Plossu, Philippe Ramette, Sandy Skoglund or being hypnotised by en se laissant Darren Almond's photos... A surprising journey back to reality.

On the second floor of the museum, a "collage" shows surrealists'fascination for dream, metamorphosis and unconsciouséprouvée.

Families will be happy to know that the museum organises visits specifically targeted for a Young audience. It also offers workshops and activities around the theme of the exhibit. Tales are told to the youngest as they discover some of the masterpieces featured in this exhibit.

The audioguide gives you the option of a narrated visit or a muscial visit. A tune, a selected music will play for each painting.

A chief chooses two or three paintings to inspire his cuisine. He will cook some "bouchées" for you to taste at the end of the exhibit to sublimate your experience.

Specialists in arts, pyschiatrists... take you on a tour of their "coups de cœur" and will comment this special visit.

Conférences, films and animations at l'Alcazar complete the Cantini Museum's exhibit about dream.

Dream: Until January 22 2017 at Musée Cantini

19, rue Grignan - 13006 Marseille

+33(0)4 91 13 89 03 / 06

Regular fee : 10€ / Reduced : 8€
individual guided tour : 4€

Everyday at 3pm / 11am on Saturday and Sunday

[dgac-musée-cantini@mairie-marseille.fr]mail:dgac-musée-cantini@mairie-marseille.fr

For a French version of the story, click: http://www.tourmag.com/Le-Musee-Cantini-vous-invite-au-pays-des-reves_a83743.html