Tate Modern

This exhibition aims to capture the spirit of exploration and humour that characterised the work of these three world-famous artists. Duchamp, Man Ray, Picabia begins in the 1910s revealing their attempts to respond to, and go beyond, the implications of Cubism, Futurism and early Abstraction. Machine imagery, and its capacity to serve as a metaphor for human beings, was a key interest shared by all three artists during this time. Objects – “readymades” and “objects of affection” – were a common theme in the work of Duchamp and Man Ray. Best known for their work in the Dada years, the three remained friends throughout their lives and the exhibition will bring together some of their most seminal works. The relationships between painting, objects, photography and film in their work are key themes that will be explored, and there will be a room devoted to the artists’ collaboration, featuring photographs, books, letters and magazines.