A painting by Salvador Dalí has gone on display in Plymouth as part of a major new exhibition at The Box.
Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes brings together works by both iconic and emerging surrealist artists in the UK’s first dedicated survey of how surrealism has interpreted the landscape.
Salvador Dalí Painting Comes to Plymouth with Forbidden Territories: Key Takeaways
- A rare painting by Salvador Dalí is now on display in Plymouth as part of a major surrealist exhibition at The Box.
- The show features more than a century of surrealist landscape art, including works by Max Ernst, Henry Moore, Lee Miller and emerging contemporary artists.
- The exhibition explores the movement’s themes of memory, identity, gender and political unrest, with a strong focus on the South West’s role in surrealist history.
Open until 7 September 2025, the exhibition includes pieces by Max Ernst, Henry Moore, Lee Miller and Eileen Agar, along with contributions from contemporary artists such as Wael Shawky, Helen Marten and St Ives-based Ro Robertson.
Organised by The Hepworth Wakefield, the Forbidden Territories exhibition is divided into four thematic sections and looks at how surrealist artists have used landscape to explore memory, politics, the unconscious and bodily transformation.
Surreal Landscapes Through Time
In the section titled Landscapes of the Mind, visitors will see how artists like Max Ernst and Yves Tanguy drew on their childhood environments to create dreamlike compositions. Their work is presented alongside a striking mural-style piece by Nicolas Party, made using soft pastels.
Contested Terrains considers how surrealist artists responded to conflict and change. Dalí’s politically charged landscapes are exhibited with works by Gordon Onslow Ford and Merlyn Evans. Contemporary Egyptian artist Wael Shawky adds a modern perspective, displayed alongside Lee Miller’s photographs of Egypt during wartime.
Biomorphic Natures features sculpture and form, showcasing Jean Arp’s white plaster shapes, Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure (1936), and hybrid creatures created by Leonora Carrington. These works explore the surrealist fascination with nature and the body.
The final section, Bodies of Water, addresses identity and gender. It features artworks by Dora Maar, María Berrío, and Ithell Colquhoun, who combined surrealist methods with an interest in mysticism and the occult. Eileen Agar’s pieces highlight the symbolic potential of water in understanding the self.
The South West’s Surrealist Connections
While often associated with Paris or London, surrealism in the South West has a rich heritage. In 1937, artists including Max Ernst, Lee Miller, Henry Moore and Roland Penrose gathered at Lambe Creek in Cornwall. The landscapes, folklore and coastline of the region have continued to inspire surrealist practice ever since.
The Box’s exhibition places this local history within a wider international context, recognising how artists in Cornwall and Devon have shaped and responded to surrealist ideas over the decades.
Summer Programme and Family Activities: Forbidden Territories
A full programme of events will run alongside the exhibition, titled Summer of Surrealism. Talks, workshops, exhibition tours and a special “Super Saturday” on 16 August will offer opportunities for all ages to engage with the show. A separate display will also feature entries and winners from a children and young people’s art competition inspired by the exhibition’s themes.
Forbidden Territories: 100 Years of Surreal Landscapes is open now at The Box in Plymouth and runs until 7 September 2025.
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