MONTREAL.- This spring, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts hosts the first solo museum exhibition in Canada devoted to the life and work of Montreal-born Surrealist Alan Glass (1921-2023). Worlds of Wonder: The Surrealist Journey of Alan Glass immerses visitors in Glass’ singular artistic universe through over 100 of his unique creations, including drawings, paintings, found objects and assemblages made in Paris and Mexico, where Glass settled permanently in the 1970s.

In his drawings that hover somewhere between the abstract and the figurative, Alan Glass created ethereal environments out of familiar and extraordinary forms. He is better known, however, for his boxed assemblages, in which he turned everyday objects into marvellous, surreal visions. These boxes composed of found objects, unusual images, plants and taxidermy animals create dreamlike scenes that evoke memories, desires and obsessions from the depths of the artist’s psyche.

The exhibition is divided into three sections that, one by one, unveil the multitude of artistic, literary and spiritual affinities that influenced Glass’ work, while also highlighting the network of artists he engaged with along the way, in Montreal, Paris and Mexico, including Jean Benoît and Mimi Parent, André Breton, Leonora Carrington, Aube Elléouët-Breton, Manuel Felguérez, Pedro Friedeberg, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Solange Legendre, and Bridget Tichenor, among others.

In all, the exhibition showcases more than 100 works, 9 of which are from the MMFA’s collection. It features a selection of recently rediscovered ballpoint pen drawings made in Paris between 1954 and 1962, on display for the first time. In addition, a video by artist Manuela de Laborde offers a glimpse into Glass’ home studio, tucked away in Mexico City’s Roma neighbourhood, where objects found or fabricated by the artist transformed his living environment into an awe-striking tableau vivant.

“We are delighted to collaborate with the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, in Mexico, and honoured to be the first museum in Canada to present the work of Montreal-born Surrealist Alan Glass. Glass’ extraordinary creations provide much needed space for wonder, enchantment, and imagination in today’s world. Taking visitors on a journey from Montreal to Paris, Mexico, and beyond, the exhibition offers a unique opportunity for museum audiences to discover a remarkable artist who, while much celebrated beyond our borders, remains under-recognized in Quebec and Canada,” highlights Mary-Dailey Desmarais, Chief Curator at the MMFA.

“This posthumous retrospective brings to the fore Glass’ singular work, steeped in fantasy, that speaks to a rare talent and inventiveness for assemblage art and drawing. It shines a light on the creations of an outstanding artist who never ceased to find wonder in the world around him,” says Elisabeth Otto, Assistant Curator of Quebec and Canadian Art at the MMFA, and curator of the exhibition.

Alan Glass’ work is represented in prestigious collections, including those of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, and the Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico. The MMFA boasts 12 of the artist’s works in its collection.