Surrealism in Denmark – Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen’s Book Surrealismen, 1934
In: A Cultural History of the Avant-Garde in the Nordic Countries 1925-1950Search for other papers by Camilla Skovbjerg Paldam in
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Abstract
Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen’s book Surrealismen. Livsanskuelse. Livsudfoldelse. Kunst (Surrealism. Philosophy of Life. Way of Life. Art, 1934) was the first comprehensive introduction to surrealism written in a Nordic language. In order to understand the relationship between the French and the Nordic avant-garde, centre and periphery, this essay investigates Bjerke-Petersen’s notion of surrealism in Surrealismen. How were central surrealist topics such as automatism, collage, convulsion, love and revolution conceived? And how did this correspond to the ideas of the French movement? To understand further the impact and cultural context of the book, the essay considers the rather mixed reception of the book and Bjerke-Petersen’s prominent role in the Nordic and international avant-garde networks.