This exhibition draws from the art collections of the Museo Casa Natal Picasso to challenge the pessimistic interpretation of Goya's famous engraving, 'The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.' Through an array of iconic works, it explores the internal logic and order within the dream world, inviting visitors to form their own interpretations.
The exhibition presents an ambitious reopening of the Russian Museum Collection's galleries, featuring a diverse and profound selection of works that collectively interrogate the nature of dreams and boundaries. Departing from the dark, pessimistic vision often associated with Goya's iconic etchings, the exhibition proposes that dreams possess their own distinct rules, structures, and reasons. The experience is organized into eight distinct sections: The Mirror of the Soul, The Song of the Flesh, Visual Fauna, Before the Sphinx, Obscura Nocte per Umbram, Pop Impulse, Geometric Splendor, and Clouds and Signs. Each section curates a specific iconographic repertoire, reflecting the aesthetic vibrations of an era that continues to resonate today.
Featuring an extensive list of internationally recognized artists, the exhibition brings together works by figures such as Joan Miró, Francis Bacon, Antoni Tàpies, Christo, and Eduardo Chillida, among many others. The variety of mediums and styles—ranging from Pop Art and geometric abstraction to visceral figuration—highlights the depth of the Museo Casa Natal Picasso's holdings. By inviting the visitor into this multifaceted oniric universe, the exhibition encourages a personal engagement with the images, leaving the ultimate meaning and response to each observer's individual perspective.