Abstract
In response to the 1931 Paris Exposition Coloniale, André Thirion and Louis Aragon organised the Exposition Anti-impérialiste in an attempt to bring about collaboration between Communists and Surrealists on political activity under the auspices of the Communist Party. However, tensions arose immediately, often as personal spats. Thirion's section of the exhibition adhered to the didactic method favoured by the Party. In contrast, Aragon's section, ostensibly dealing with the cultural impact of colonialism, reveals a distinctly surrealist approach with its irreverent tone and rich ambiguity. In this paper, I argue that the conflict between Aragon and Thirion was rooted in their respective notions of revolution, and therefore politics, resulting in an Exposition Anti-impérialiste containing two fundamentally different (even opposing) protests to French colonialism. Aragon's section of the exposition also reveals his commitment to surrealist ideals, even as he was moving toward his break with André Breton.
Keywords
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.