Surrealists’ Dreams Come True? The Past, Present, and Future of Surrealist Oneiric Art

This thesis examines the evolution of oneiric (dream-inspired) art, tracing its development from 20th-century Surrealism to contemporary generative AI. The research investigates how AI-generated art embodies traditional dream motifs, analysing whether these digital creations align with the visual and thematic norms established by Surrealist artists. Historically, Surrealists utilised "psychic automatism" to translate unconscious experience into art, treating dreams as a source of psychological truth. By applying a comparative visual analysis, this study evaluates whether current AI models can effectively replicate classic oneiric characteristics or if they generate a fundamentally different aesthetic. Furthermore, the research discusses the implementation of new technological innovations, such as Neuro-AI, in the future creation of surrealist oneiric art. It explores the reconstruction of images from human brain activity and its potential in the realisation of the original Surrealist ambition to directly transcribe the unconscious into a visual form. By synthesising art history and computational research, this thesis demonstrates how technology continues to reshape the relationship between human subconscious and visual arts.