超现实主义 (chāoxiànshízhǔyì): surrealism

A direct calque of French 'surréalisme' (sur- 'above' = 超, réalisme 'realism' = 现实主义). Founded by André Breton (布勒东) in Paris in 1924, the movement sought to liberate the unconscious through dreams and automatism. Key figures: Salvador Dalí (达利), René Magritte (马格利特), Max Ernst (恩斯特), Joan Miró (米罗).

usage

In casual speech, 超现实 (chāoxiànshí) 'surreal' is used as an adjective: 这场面太超现实了 'this scene is too surreal'. The full -主义 form is reserved for the art movement and academic discussion.