Objects of Desire: Surrealism and Design 1924 – Today

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Curated with Vitra Design Museum, this exhibition explores design from the birth of surrealism in 1924 to the current day.

Bringing together the best in Surrealist design with furniture, fashion and photography alongside art from Surrealist pioneers such as Salvador Dalí, Dora Maar, Man Ray, Leonora Carrington and Lee Miller, and contemporary artists Schiaparelli, Dior and Björk, the show uncovers the rich and strange history of Surrealism and its fascinating influence on design.

Here at Beam, we worked closely with exhibition designers Vitra and Violetta Boxhill on an overall lighting scheme, designed to conjure a seductively inviting feeling of luxury throughout the space while allowing the objects themselves to remain centre stage. Our design utilises spectrally tinted column downlights in order to enhance the coloured suede and velvet cladding, invoking the sense of high contrast and fine detail velour. The cladded columns and thematic colouring of the gallery aid the visitor’s journey through the four sections of the gallery, focusing on Surrealism’s influence on everyday objects, interior design, fashion and the body, and the mind. The objects and labels themselves have been carefully and pragmatically lit, taking into account sightlines and strict conservation levels. Ensuring conscious placement of fittings and the positioning and alignment of shuttered beams, these details combine to create a visually appealing and inviting atmosphere.