The Surrealist Movement

The Surrealist movement still exists around the world but the terms of what it opposes have nevertheless insidiously shifted: after the First World War, Surrealism emerged as the opponent of the common sense, limited rational attitude prevelant among the bourgeoisie. Surrealism challenged the values of capitalism at that time. However, these values and their emphasis have undergone a change - capitalism, being itself entirely unrealistic as a project that cannot even ensure the continuance of life on the planet, now champions escapism, computer games, fantasy, anything that will take our minds off the present moment. In fact, what now characterises capitalism is anachronism, which I would define as the inability to relate to the present moment as it fits into a context of development - the capitalist, bourgeois orientation to the present is an infinite layer of ghostings, recyclings of previous moments, reversal to previous histories. It is this total failure of capitalism to orient itself in time that Surranachronism opposes, using the tradition of Surrealist revolt, to deny every order; refuse every recommendation; destroy every program suggested to us by the world's dictators, the present leadership of the world.