"All preparations are underway for the international surrealism exhibition, which will open on December 3rd at the Daniel Cordier gallery. The theme of this exhibition will be eroticism."
1.400€
André Breton (1896.1966)
Autographed letter signed to Pierre Dhainaut.
One and a half pages in quarto. Autograph envelope.
St Cirq. July 17, 1959.
André Breton announces the upcoming international surrealist exhibition to the young poet Pierre Dhainaut.
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“Dear Pierre Dhainaut, You are one of us. That sums up everything your letter prompts me to tell you. We must see each other very soon, get to know you and our friends, talk, and have you collaborate with us.”
This, no doubt, will not eliminate the two threats you describe, but I do expect it to mitigate them. One of my close friends, José Pierre, is a professor in Le Havre. For a long time, I worried about him taking on this role, but after a year or two of struggle against it, I was pleased to see that he mastered it, without anything being changed in him. What also reassures me about you is that the reprieve protects you for two years, at the end of which it is not unreasonable to hope that the Algerian War will have ended, which will at least alleviate the concerns you express and significantly ease the moral dilemma. From that point on, the best course of action has always seemed to me to be to let things drift throughout the ordeal. That's what I've seen several of our young friends achieve (I've also applied this system to myself as much as possible, but it goes without saying that wars greatly hinder it). I don't believe the flame you're talking about can be at the mercy of that.
Do you often pass through Paris? I'll be there again from September 5th, busy with preparations for the international Surrealist exhibition, which opens on December 3rd at the Daniel Cordier Gallery. The theme of this exhibition will be eroticism. I sincerely hope you will contribute to the catalogue. With my warmest regards, André Breton.
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The International Surrealist Exhibition, EROS, organised by André Breton and Marcel Duchamp, was held at the Galerie Daniel Cordier during the winter of 1959-60.
Pierre Dhainaut (1935-) met André Breton during the year 1959. After having been influenced by surrealism, he published his first book, Le poème commencé and gradually turned towards a poetry inspired by his growing interest in the history of religions and spiritualities.
He received the Jean Arp Francophone Literature Prize in 2010 and the Guillaume Apollinaire Prize in 2016