Surrealism was one of the most influential movements of the twentieth century and had a profound impact on all forms of culture. During the 1930s it escaped the bounds of an avant-garde art movement and transformed the wider worlds of theatre, design, fashion and advertising. This lecture explores how Surrealism evolved from art movement to commercial phenomenon.

Ghislaine Wood is the curator of the exhibition, Surreal Things: Surrealism and Design. In 2003, she was lead curator of the critically acclaimed and popular exhibition, Art Deco, 1910-1939 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England. Three years earlier, she was deputy curator of Art Nouveau, 1890-1914. She is a member of the V&A’s Research Department.