Why was surrealism named surrealism?

Answer 1

Surrealism was named by French poet Guillaume Apollinaire in 1917, who combined "sur" (meaning "above" or "beyond") with "réalisme" to suggest a movement that transcended traditional realism. The term was officially adopted for the artistic and literary movement in the early 1920s, aiming to explore the unconscious mind and dreams, thereby creating a reality that goes beyond the rational. Surrealists sought to challenge perceptions of reality by merging the ordinary with the extraordinary, leading to unexpected juxtapositions and imaginative creations.