Individual Project
Mengmeng Hu’s individual project, Surreal Refraction, explores how contemporary British illustrators use surrealist ideas to transform everyday life. Her blog outlines a clear two-part structure: “Distorted Reality” and “Intimate Dreams.” These sections highlight how ordinary scenes can be twisted into dreamlike, surreal visuals, inviting viewers to question their perceptions of the real.
One of the most engaging aspects of the project is the use of interactive elements. For example, mirrors that distort reflections and AR scanning that animates illustrations help turn the exhibition into a participatory experience. These features encourage visitors not just to observe but to enter the artwork through play and curiosity.
Mengmeng also considers real venues, such as the Fruitmarket Gallery or Edinburgh Printmakers, showing that she is thinking practically about how this project could come to life in the city.
The concept is strong, but it would benefit from a clearer explanation of how illustration connects with surrealism in today’s world. For instance, she might mention that “Surrealism is not just a style or movement, but a way of thinking that transforms daily life by challenging our sense of what’s real.”
As André Breton wrote in his Manifesto of Surrealism:
“I believe in the future resolution of these two states, dream and reality, which are seemingly so contradictory, into a kind of absolute reality, a surreality, if one may so speak.”
(Breton, 1969, p.1)
Group Project
This collaborative exhibition poses a timely question: how is reality shaped through technology? The project traces the evolution of perception, from early optical devices to modern digital interfaces. It reflects a thoughtful awareness of how tools—past and present—frame what we see and believe.
Mengmeng’s suggestion to feature works by teamLab brings a strong immersive and digital angle. For example, in teamLab Borderless, audiences experience a fluid environment where reality feels constantly shifting—shaped by algorithms and movement. This challenges fixed ideas of time, nature, and identity (Spiller, 2018).
Her concept, “Reshaping the Future in the Echo of Dreams,” adds a meaningful ecological layer. Using biodegradable and responsive materials ties the exhibition to current curatorial interests in environmental ethics and sustainability. This approach echoes ideas in ecological surrealism, where art mimics living systems and explores eco-anxiety through immersive, dreamlike environments (Alrashaidi et al., 2024).
To strengthen the overall concept, the group might consider unifying the digital and ecological themes through a central idea—such as how both dreams, whether tech-driven or nature-inspired, shape our sense of what is real.
References
Breton, A., 1969. Manifestoes of Surrealism. Translated by R. Seaver and H.R. Lane. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, p.1.
Spiller, N., 2018. Celebrating the marvellous: Surrealism in architecture. Available at: https://consensus.app/papers/celebrating-the-marvellous-surrealism-in-architecture-spiller/c49495df998a5da7aa2b51bb74ed6669
Alrashaidi, E., Alrashidi, N. and Alayar, M., 2024. Surrealism in contemporary Kuwaiti art. Available at: https://consensus.app/papers/surrealism-in-contemporary-kuwaiti-art-alrashaidi-alrashidi/363fb9663f805caa868dff758cbb6d71
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