Discover the Renaissance's Surreal Side at Mia's New Exhibition
Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 4:25PM
The Weirdening of the Renaissance / June 14–November 30
This summer, the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) invites visitors to explore the strange, the surreal, and the sublime in a new exhibition, The Weirdening of the Renaissance, on view June 14 through November 30, 2025, in Gallery 344. Admission is free.
During the early Renaissance, artists drew inspiration from ancient Rome, producing works characterized by order, balance, and rationality. But as the movement evolved, so did the art - and not always in expected ways. Catalyzed by the dramatic 1506 discovery of the Laocoön sculpture in Rome, artists began pushing past the confines of symmetry and realism, unleashing a wave of experimental energy that embraced the bizarre.
Per Tom Rassieur, John E. Andrus III Curator of Prints and Drawings at Mia, “This exhibition takes us to the wonderfully weird world of artists freed from narrow ideas of Renaissance propriety. It’s a reminder that the Renaissance wasn’t just a rebirth of old ideas—it was also a hotbed of innovation, imagination, and strangeness.”
Through rarely seen Italian and Northern engravings, woodcuts, and etchings from Mia’s collection, The Weirdening of the Renaissance explores how artists manipulated perspective, distorted figures, and turned away from purely representational imagery. What began as a return to classical ideals evolved into a fascinating, otherworldly visual language that continues to captivate viewers today.
