Poetry and Dream
Level 2
Tate Modern: Display
Open every day
Free
Giorgio de Chirico, 'The Uncertainty of the Poet' 1913

Giorgio de Chirico
The Uncertainty of the Poet 1913
Oil on canvas
support: 1060 x 940 mm frame: 1232 x 1125 x 73 mm
Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund (Eugene Cremetti Fund), the Carroll Donner Bequest, the Friends of the Tate Gallery and members of the public 1985© DACS, 2002

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The displays in Poetry and Dream show how contemporary art grows from, reconnects with, and can provide fresh insights into the art of the past. The large room at the heart of the wing is devoted to Surrealism, while the surrounding displays look at other artists who, in different ways, have responded to or diverged from Surrealism, or explored related themes such as the world of dreams, the unconscious and archetypal myth. These displays also show how characteristically Surrealist techniques such as free association, the use of chance, biomorphic form and bizarre symbolism have been reinvigorated in new contexts and through new media, often at far remove from the intentions of their pioneers.