The PMA celebrates 100 years of the Surrealist movement, featuring one of the world’s best collections of Surrealist art.

In an exploration of the blurred lines between art and everyday objects, the Philadelphia-born artist Man Ray transformed a humble metronome into a significant statement of artistic intent in 1923. By attaching an eye-shaped paper cutout to its pendulum, Ray created a piece he referred to as “Object to Be Destroyed.” This innovative act resonates with a movement birthed by his contemporary, Marcel Duchamp, who first popularized the concept of “ready-made” art in the early 1900s, challenging traditional notions of artistry and creativity.

Ray’s metronome served not only as a functional tool to measure time but also became a companion in his Parisian studio, which he occupied after relocating to the city in 1921. The rhythmic ticking offered a constant reminder of the artist’s need for an audience. However, overwhelmed by the symbolic surveillance represented by the piece, Ray later embraced its title in a moment of creative turmoil and destroyed it, symbolizing the transient nature of artistic creation.

The notion of destruction surrounding Ray’s work continued, as the sculpture faced another fate in 1957 when it was reportedly shot at by art students during an exhibition. This act of defacement exemplified the ongoing dialogue about the impermanence of art, leading Ray to rename the piece “Indestructible Object.” Despite its physical destruction, the idea behind the work persisted, emphasizing that a concept cannot be obliterated.

As part of the upcoming exhibit titled “Dreamworld: Surrealism at 100,” the Philadelphia Museum of Art will showcase Ray’s metronome, contributing to a larger narrative surrounding surrealist traditions. This exhibition, beginning November 8, positions Philadelphia as the only U.S. city to host the touring show, which commenced in Brussels and made stops in major European cities such as Paris and Madrid.

With more than 60 artists featured—including iconic figures like Duchamp, Salvador Dalí, and Picasso—this retrospective will shed light on forgotten voices within the movement, notably exiled artists from Europe during World War II. Surrealism, which André Breton articulated as an artistic and literary movement in 1924, challenged artists to blend the realms of reality and fantasy, a theme evident in works featured in the exhibit.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art, which has amassed a significant collection of Surrealist works over the years, became a focal point for this movement, partially driven by former director Fiske Kimball’s successful acquisitions of important collections in the 1950s. Notably, the museum now holds the largest collection of Duchamp’s works globally.

Man Ray’s journey began in Philadelphia in 1890 as Emmanuel Radnitzky, where he grew to become a pivotal figure in Paris’s Surrealist scene. Known for his pioneering cameraless photography and creative endeavors with film, Ray’s legacy is entrenched in the art world. His celebrated photographic work “Le Violon d’Ingres” achieved record sales at auction, underscoring his lasting impact on the medium.

With the upcoming exhibition, audiences in Philadelphia have the opportunity to engage with Ray’s works anew, celebrating an artist whose contributions have often been overlooked in his home country. The exhibition runs from November 8 through February 16 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a significant hub for Surrealist art and culture.