“Enchanted Alchemies” is an exhibition exploring themes of magic, mysticism, and the occult in art. The exhibition places historical figures such as Gertrude Abercrombie, Eileen Agar, Leonora Carrington, Elda Cerrato, Ithell Colquhoun, Leonor Fini, and Monica Sjöö in dialogue with contemporary practitioners, including Francesco Clemente, Chitra Ganesh, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Bharti Kher, Linder, and Goshka Macuga. Featuring over 50 works by 27 artists spanning painting, sculpture, ceramic, watercolor, and collage—some newly created—“Enchanted Alchemies” brings together a range of expressive approaches to magic and mystical thinking. The exhibition display will evolve through two phases to reflect the transformative and alchemical themes of the artists’ works.
One hundred years ago, André Breton wrote his first Manifesto of Surrealism. Notions of magic, alchemy, and the occult would, as his ideas matured, become a central part of the Surrealist movement. This realm of esoteric interests has been given renewed attention in the 21st century. “Enchanted Alchemies” continues this conversation, navigating the ethereal realms of Surrealism and its enduring legacy through three thematic chapters: “Occultism and Dreams,” “Magic and Mysticism,” and “Alchemy: Enchantment and Transformations.” Each chapter examines how artists over the past century have engaged with age-old occult practices, casting them as forces capable of significantly shaping—and reshaping—personal, cultural, and creative narratives.
The work of British Surrealist Ithell Colquhoun, for example, urges us to consider magic beyond notions of ritual and spellcasting. Rather, she sought to convey an all-encompassing, dynamic force that powerfully permeated every aspect of reality. Works like Alcove II (1948) demonstrate how she used Surrealist automatic techniques—in this instance, decalcomania—as a means of channeling deeper, subconscious truths. Colquhoun’s automatism resulted in what she called “mantic stains,” possessing alchemical powers of creation and divination.
Like many women connected to the Surrealist movement, Colquhoun was frequently overlooked in her lifetime. Her practice is currently undergoing a long overdue reappraisal, showing her to be a pioneering voice alongside her contemporaries Leonora Carrington and Leonor Fini. In “Enchanted Alchemies,” their insights are juxtaposed with the works of other women artists who are establishing new pathways for formulating relationships between art-making and occult influences. Bharti Kher’s Alchemy Drawings (2019), for example, crafts a language of magic through the use of circles and mark-making, wherein tensions between materiality and spirituality resonate a profound sense of transformation. Chitra Ganesh’s work immerses us in a dynamic interplay of figures and magical symbols, weaving together mythologies and narrative traditions in a manner that defies linear constraints.
The exhibition will unveil completely new works by Linder and Ganesh, as well as by Claire Lehmann, Pascale Montandon-Jodorowsky, and Georg Wilson. In addition, significant pieces by Stacey Gillian Abe, Caroline Bachmann, Jaider Esbell, Bracha L. Ettinger, Julia Isídrez, Victor Man, pascALEjandro, Rachel Rose, Lucy Stein, Francis Upritchard, and Aleksandra Waliszewska are included.
Also present in “Enchanted Alchemies” are works by Alejandro Jodorowsky, a singular artist whose practice spans much of the epoch that the exhibition is considering. A renowned filmmaker, visual artist, and comic book writer, he worked with Carrington during the latter’s mature career and continues a practice that engages with magical concepts today. His practice is rooted in a distinct Surrealist-inflected mysticism, wherein the physical and metaphysical, reality and fantasy, occult iconographies and ancient mythologies overlap and intermingle.
“Enchanted Alchemies” offers a lens through which to view art as a reflection of humanity’s quest for meaning, understanding, and transcendence. With an interdisciplinary approach, it delves into seismic sociological shifts that have reshaped notions of spirituality, gender, and identity, prompting a re-evaluation of our understanding of the occult. Through their engagement with various forms of magic, the artists on display explore new possibilities, envision alternative futures, and actively seek to effect change.
Participating artists: Stacey Gillian Abe, Gertrude Abercrombie, Eileen Agar, Caroline Bachmann, Leonora Carrington, Elda Cerrato, Francesco Clemente, Ithell Colquhoun, Jaider Esbell, Bracha L. Ettinger, Leonor Fini, Chitra Ganesh, Julia Isídrez, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Bharti Kher, Claire Lehmann, Linder, Goshka Macuga, Victor Man, Pascale Montandon-Jodorowsky, pascALEjandro, Rachel Rose, Monica Sjöö, Lucy Stein, Francis Upritchard, Aleksandra Waliszewska, and Georg Wilson
at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, London
until December 21, 2024