November 13, 2026 | General, News, Theatre,

Artistic Movements Fueled by Dreams

The sporadic, confusing, abstract and bizarre nature of dreams have fueled creative minds for generations. For our upcoming show Dream Feed, which takes audiences through a hypnotic journey of the subconscious mind, we’re exploring artistic movements around the world focused on dreams and how they have influenced contemporary performers.

Europe’s Biggest Dreamers

Surrealism and Dadaism were the biggest names in the dream world. They were complementary artistic movements from the early 20th century that redefined modern art and rebelled against academic artistic curriculums that were upheld by bourgeois culture. Developed as a response to the traditional thinking that led to the devastation of World War I, these movements incorporated absurdity, bizarre tactics and dream-like imagery to evoke criticism of the Western world. Artists like Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Marcel Duchamp, and Max Ernst frontlined these movements and created new ways of seeing the world, especially in relation to our subconscious fears or desires.

Latin American Magical Realism

Although mostly considered a movement in literature, magical realism bled into the artistic world, with artists like Fernando Botero and Orlando Quevedo integrating the philosophy into their own surreal pieces. Magical realism, as opposed to surrealism, does not separate the subconscious and conscious state, but rather integrates mythical, magical and abnormal elements into everyday life as if they were real and normal. The movement gained popularity in Latin America in the mid-20th century through renown authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende, and gained visual representations through artists like Tarsila do Amaral, who used integrated magical realism and dream-like elements to create interpretations of Brazilian identity. The movement was morphed to represent an alternative way of existing in countries defined by ever-changing identities and as a criticism of European or colonial worldviews.

Japanese Theatrical Dreamers

During the 1960’s, Angura emerged from the depths of student protests and anti-establishment movements as a politically charged, underground, counterculture artistic movement in Japan. The movement integrated the subconscious mind, cultural trauma, and traditional Japanese ghost stories to create artistic interpretations in the form of graphic design, theater, and performance art. Angura produced notable Japanese creatives such as Shuji Terayama and Juro Kara, who broke conventional boundaries to create pieces that contributed to Japanese New Wave cinema and experimental theater, respectively.

Dream Feed runs in the  NOV 19—22 in the Jackie Liebergott Black Box Theatre at the Emerson Paramount Center. Tickets are on sale now.