Social Surrealism Turned the Gathering Into the Artwork

Over a long October weekend in Bushwick, a home-based gallery made an argument that is simple to state and harder to practice. Culture is not handed down by institutions. It is made by people who show up, talk, and look at art together. Social Surrealism, curated by Charlotte Hailstone Wu at Chez-Nous, built an entire exhibition around that idea. It brought together five artists whose work explores what the show described as "the strange, poetic, and often unstable realities embedded within everyday life."

The premise was as much about what happens around the art as about the art itself. The exhibition celebrated the idea that culture is created collectively: through artists gathering, sharing ideas, inviting others into dialogue, and building meaningful connections. The social space surrounding art-making was treated as part of the work, shaped by exchange, conversation, community, and shared experience.

That is a notable shift in emphasis. The usual gallery model asks visitors to stand quietly before finished objects. Social Surrealism suggested that the studio visit, the argument that runs past midnight, and the introduction between two strangers are where artistic life actually happens. The work on the walls and pedestals was one result of that ecosystem, not the whole story.

The participating artists were Gabrielle Benak, Charlotte Bravin Lee, Mia Dunn, Marie-Chloé Duval, and Leo Psaros. Their practices moved between figuration and abstraction, intimacy and estrangement, linked by an interest in the poetic distortions that surface within ordinary existence.

"Surrealism" here was not the dreamscape of melting clocks. It was quieter and closer to home. The artists considered how perception shapes reality, and how familiar environments, relationships, memories, and social structures can be subtly transformed by the imagination. A friendship, or a remembered room can turn strange without anything dramatic happening.

The setting mattered as much as the lineup. Chez-Nous is an alternative art space and home-based gallery founded by Duval, operating outside the conventional white-cube model. Exhibitions unfold alongside meals, conversations, gatherings, and informal exchanges, in an intimate setting that invites visitors to linger rather than pass through.

The space is grounded in the belief that art can function not only as an object of contemplation but also as a catalyst for connection. In a neighborhood known for its artist-run spaces and DIY spirit, Chez-Nous takes that ethos in a particular direction: the gallery is a host, and the exhibition is an occasion.

The founder of Chez Nous, Marie-Chloé had this to say about the show: "To me, New York is all about community, unexpected encounters, and the beautiful things that happen when strangers come together. I believe art is one of the things that connects us most deeply as a society. Over the years, hundreds of strangers have walked barefoot through my home, looking at art, sharing stories, laughing, and meeting people they might never have met otherwise. Some of these encounters have turned into beautiful friendships. Sometimes, I just stand back and observe everyone talking and smiling, and I feel this profound, simple happiness. I think, this is exactly why I started Chez-Nous. Art brought everyone here, but what happens between people is just as meaningful as the art on the walls.”

Duval's role extends well beyond the founder's title, and it is central to understanding the show. She is a working artist with a distinctive and respected practice, and she is also known for the dinner parties she hosts in New York and Miami, which bring creatives together across disciplines and cities. Those evenings are a kind of social practice in their own right. They introduce people who might never have met, start conversations that become collaborations, and build the connective tissue that sustains a creative community.

Much of contemporary art life has moved toward the screen, the fair, and the transaction. A show that insists on the room, the meal, and the person standing next to you offers a counterpoint. It does not reject the object. It restores the context that gives the object meaning.

Social Surrealism also took a generous view of who makes culture. If culture is created collectively, then the host who sets the table, the friend who asks the right question, and the visitor who stays for the discussion are all participants. The exhibition asked viewers to see themselves that way, as part of the work rather than outside it.

About Chez Nous:

Founded in 2024 in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Chez-Nous is an alternative art exhibition space built around the belief that art thrives through community, exchange, and creative freedom. Now celebrating its 10th exhibition, Chez-Nous has hosted both solo and group shows, offering artists and curators a platform to bring their visions to life without commercial constraints. Entirely free for participating artists, with no exhibition fees or sales commissions, Chez-Nous has no ambition to become a traditional gallery. Instead, it seeks to rethink how art is exhibited and experienced, creating an intimate, welcoming environment where experimentation, dialogue, and meaningful connections take precedence over commercial interests. At its heart, Chez-Nous is about bringing people together through art, making space for ideas, encounters, and a community that grows with every exhibition.

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Abigail MacFadden

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Tagged Chez-Nous, Social Surrealism

Social Surrealism Turned the Gathering Into the Artwork

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