Rendezvous of Dreams | soundgarden

16.06.2025

For the exhibition "Rendezvous of Dreams. Surrealism and German Romanticism" at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, we at soundgarden created three audio tours: one for adults in German, one in English, and one for children in dialogue format. In the children's tour, listeners aged eight to twelve float through the exhibition spaces together with a cloud named Rêve and a child named Mia. The adult tours are enriched with original recordings from exhibition curator Dr. Annabelle Görgen-Lammers, as well as numerous quotes from representatives of both art movements, bringing the intellectual bridge between German Romanticism and Surrealism to life.

In total, over 230 Surrealist icons meet more than 70 masterpieces of German Romanticism, including works by Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim, René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, Dorothea Tanning, Valentine Hugo, Toyen, Caspar David Friedrich, and Philipp Otto Runge. In 15 chapters, such as "Dream", "Friendship", "Forest", "Creatures of the Night" and "Cosmos", the exhibition impressively demonstrates how dreams, inner vision, and fantasy, inspired the Romantics 200 years ago and shaped Surrealism a century later. A very special "rendezvous" between the two art movements took place over 60 years ago in Hamburg: Namely, when Max Ernst – one of the most important representatives of Surrealism – personally attended the 1964 Lightwork Prize ceremony at the Hamburger Kunsthalle. There, he first saw Philipp Otto Runge's work "The Morning" Inspired by this early German Romantic painting, Max Ernst created "A Beautiful Morning" shortly thereafter. Both works have been part of the Kunsthalle's collection for more than 60 years – and are now being presented together for the very first time!

You can hear our vocal and audio acting talents:

Daniela Witte and Matthias Klie in the German adult tour.
Maria Rabl and Sean Kenney in the English adult tour.
Cleo Szokodi as "Mia" and Sacha Holzheimer as the cloud "Rêve" in the children's tour.

The Hamburger Kunsthalle provides the audio tours free of charge in its own APP.

We wish Surrealism a happy birthday and all the exhibition visitors lots of fun listening, marveling, and dreaming!

Photos:

Max Ernst, "The Rendezvous of Friends", 1922: © Rheinisches Bildarchiv Köln & © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025

Max Ernst, "The House Angel (The Triumph of Surrealism)", 1937: © VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2025 & © Vincent Everarts Photography Brussels

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