Design Museum, London
14 October 2022 – 19 February 2023
Objects of Desire is the first major UK exhibition that tells Surrealism’s influence on the design world up to the present day. Surrealism was in part a reaction to the horrors of WW1 and the 1918 influenza pandemic. Today, in the context of rapid technological change and the Covid-19 pandemic, surrealism’s spirit feels alive again.
The exhibition starts with the birth of Surrealism in the 1920s and examines the evolution of design throughout this art movement. Objects of Desire is divided into four sections, exploring Surrealism’s influence on everyday objects; interior design; fashion, the body and sexuality; and the mind.
“Surrealism recognizes dreams and desires as our constant companions”. With this, Design Museum brings together the most dreamy, surprising, and playful Surrealist works of art and designs, including furniture, fashion, and photography, featuring classic and contemporary artists such as Salvador Dalí, Man Ray, Lee Miller, Schiaparelli, Dior, Björk, Tim Walker, and many more.
These are five highlights out of the 350 objects on display at the exhibition:
1. Lobster Telephone by Salvador Dalí (1938)
Dalí saw lobsters and telephones as erotic objects. The lobster’s tail (where its sexual organs are located) is provocatively positioned on the mouthpiece of the telephone.
2. Look 6 Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2021, Schiaparelli by Daniel Roseberry
Surrealism’s influence on fashion began in the 1930s. This shocking pink mini dress with a muscular shape is an unmissable piece of the exhibition.
3. Mae West Lip sofa (1938)
Created by Dalí and British poet Edward James, this is the most important piece of surrealist furniture in the UK.
4. Kosmos in Blue by Yasmina Atta (2020)
Working in the expanding Afro-surrealist movement, these wings that move intermittently were born out of the confluence of different cultures, Atta’s Nigerian heritage and her interest in Japanese manga.
5. Sketch chair by Front Studio (2013)
This chair captures the spontaneity and messiness of human movement. It was designed by literally sketching in mid-air with hand gestures. These gestures are then captured by motion capture technology and transformed into 3D-printed works.
Surrealism allows the subconscious to find expression, and free themselves from conventional art and design practices. An exhibition that inspires and encourages this exploration is definitely worth a visit.
慾望之物：1924 年至今的超現實主義與設計
倫敦設計博物館
2022 年 10 月 14 日 – 2023 年 2 月 19 日
Objects of Desire 是英國第一個展示超現實主義對當今設計界影響的大型展覽。超現實主義在一定程度上是對第一次世界大戰的恐怖和 1918 年流感大流行的反應。至今，在快速的科技技術變革和新冠疫情的環境下，超現實主義的精神再次煥發生機。
展覽從 1920 年代超現實主義的誕生開始，考察了整個藝術運動中設計的演變。 《慾望之物》分為四個部分，探討超現實主義對日常物品、室內設計、時尚和身體、以及精神上的影響。
“超現實主義將夢想和慾望視為我們一貫的陪伴”。設計博物館匯集了最夢幻、最令人驚訝、最有趣的超現實主義藝術和設計作品，包括家具、時尚和攝影，展示了多位經典和當代藝術家的作品，包括薩爾瓦多·達利 (Dalí)、曼·雷 (Man Ray)、李·米勒 (Lee Miller)、夏帕雷利(Schiaparelli)、迪奧、Björk、蒂姆·沃克(Tim Walker)等。
以下是展覽展出的 350 件物品中的 5 個亮點：
1. 薩爾瓦多·達利 (Salvador Dalí) 的龍蝦電話 (1938)
達利將龍蝦和電話視為色情物品。龍蝦的尾巴（它性器官所在的地方）被挑釁地放置在電話的話筒上。
2. Look 6 (Daniel Roseberry), Schiaparelli 2021 春夏高級定制時裝
超現實主義對時尚的影響始於 1930 年代。這件震撼的粉色迷你裙，肌肉感十足的造型，是本次展覽不可錯過的作品。
3. Mae West 嘴唇沙發 (1938)
這件由達利和英國詩人Edward James共同創作，是英國最重要的超現實主義家具。
4. Yasmina Atta的《藍色宇宙》(2020)
在不斷擴大的非洲超現實主義運動中，這些間歇性運動的翅膀誕生於不同文化的交匯處。Atta的作品源自於她尼日利亞血統以及她對日本漫畫的興趣。
5. Front Studio的素描椅 (2013)
這把椅子表示了人類運動的自發性和混亂性。它是通過在半空中用手勢進行素描而設計的，然後通過動作捕捉技術擷取這些手勢，並轉化為 3D 打印作品。
超現實主義讓潛意識能夠找到表達，從傳統的藝術和設計實踐中解脫出來。這個激發並鼓勵探索的展覽絕對值得參觀。
Edited 编辑 x Victoria Huang 黄婧
