What Is The Exquisite Corpse?

Oh, the surrealist, what a weird bunch. Ever heard of a game that started with serious artists, ended in laughter, and somehow produced drawings that looked like Salvador Dalí met Dr. Frankenstein at a dinner party? Welcome to Exquisite Corpse, the surrealist drawing game that proves creativity thrives on chaos and cocktails.

The game was born in Paris in the 1920s when a bunch of surrealist artists like André Breton, Marcel Duchamp (the urinal guy), and their equally eccentric friends decided to let their subconscious take the wheel. They’d fold a piece of paper, each person drawing a section of a figure without seeing the rest. When they unfolded it, pure, bizarre magic. Heads became flowers, torsos turned into fish, and legs—well, sometimes they were just legs. Other times they were typewriters. Don’t overthink it.

The name “Exquisite Corpse” actually came from one of the first sentences the group created during a similar word based version of the game: “The exquisite corpse shall drink the new wine.” Which, honestly, sounds like the kind of thing you’d say if you were being creepy. But, it stuck.

Now, fast forward a hundred years and surprise! We’re still doing it, because apparently humanity loves making weird things together.

Four surrealist drawings from the game Exquisite Corpse, showcasing bizarre creatures with mismatched features and intricate patterns.

How to Play Exquisite Corpse

It’s simple, hilarious, and slightly chaotic! just the way we like it!

Fold a sheet of paper into three or four sections.
The first person draws the head and neck of a creature (human, animal, or unidentifiable blob) and lets a few lines cross the fold so the next person knows where to continue.
Fold it over so the next person can’t see what was drawn, just those tiny connecting lines.
The next artist draws the torso and arms, folds it again, and passes it on.
The next draws the legs, and so on until everyone’s added their part.
Unfold the masterpiece and prepare for laughter, confusion, and maybe a little horror.

You’ll end up with creatures that look like they escaped from a dream. It’s ridiculous, collaborative, and strangely beautiful.

Promotional poster for an 'Exquisite Corpse' art night at The Exchange in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Features a surreal illustration including a muscular arm, a cat's face, an octopus, and cartoon legs, with text announcing 'Draw & Sip' on November 5th at 6 PM.

Join Us for the Mayhem

Event: Exquisite Corpse Night
When: Wednesday, 6 PM
Where: The Exchange, Oil City, PA
Hosted by: Rafi & Klee Studios

Join Klee and me for a night of artistic mayhem, laughter, and questionable anatomy as we play this classic surrealist game! Each round, you’ll add your creative twist to a collaborative drawing without seeing what the others drew.

The result?
Absolute weirdness. Unexpected brilliance. And a whole lot of fun.

No experience needed, just bring your sense of humor and your beverage-holding hand.

$30 per person includes all art materials and two drinks (because history proves creativity improves after the second one).

Reserve your spot now: art@exchangeoc.com

FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE – https://www.facebook.com/share/1BRHmHzRT4/

So come out, make some gloriously strange art with us, and embrace your inner surrealist. Because in this game, the only rule is: the weirder, the better.