Echoes of Surrealism in Italian children's books

The Bibliographic Exhibition Echoes of Surrealism in Italian children's bookscurated by Pompeo Vaglianiis proposed as a fascinating journey between imagination, literature and visual artexploring the influences of the surrealism in children's publishing in Italy. Set up in MUSLI Book Routethe exhibition is rooted in the Italian reception of the works of Lewis Carrollidentifying over the years 1940s and 1950s a season of extraordinary creative openness.

After the end of fascist censorship, the Italian publishing scene for children opened up to new forms of expression, interweaving fairy-tale dimension, oneirism e nonsense. These elements, typical of surrealist language, find their way into books intended for children, transforming the book into a fictional object capable of evoking and stimulating the deepest drives of the child's imagination.

A special section of the exhibition is dedicated to the animated books and their dialogue with surrealist imagery: convertible books, paper mechanisms, changing and interactive images accompany the visitor on a visual and tactile journey that merges art and storytelling. The exhibition thus represents a unique opportunity to reflect on how surrealism has found a place in the world of children's publishing, renewing its form and content.