Sur/Reality: creative dreamscape

From January 16 to 20, 2025, the next edition of MAISON&OBJET will delve into the fresh interpretations of Surrealism in contemporary design. More than a mere homage to the artistic movement, this theme—identified and conceptualized by Peclers Paris—highlights consumers’ growing desire to immerse themselves in narratives that stretch the boundaries of reality. It also underscores the pivotal role of designers in crafting new universes that inspire “daydreaming.”

From Surrealism to Sur/Reality

Random creation, the distortion of form and reality, and the introduction of disruptive elements into a standardized, absurd universe… The principles of Surrealism—whether expressed visually by Magritte or Dalí, in Luis Buñuel’s cinema, or through the literature of André Breton—have left a lasting impact on all forms of artistic creation. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this movement (highlighted by a landmark exhibition at the Centre Pompidou), it’s evident that Surrealism’s ability to invent alternative worlds continues to resonate with contemporary challenges.

Inspired by Surrealism and its creative legacy, today’s sense of freedom invites us to overturn the established order by reinventing reality itself. Beyond physical travel, the exploration of the psyche is emerging as a profound new odyssey. Dreams, seen as doorways to alternative realities, remain an extraordinary wellspring of creativity. Through instinctive processes, an embrace of the bizarre, the hallucinatory, and the juxtaposition of opposites, marvelous worlds come to life. Acting as bridges between the wildest ideas and the most ambitious actions, daydreaming transforms creativity: individuals let go and reject the monotony of everyday life.

“We wanted to explore contemporary translations of Surrealism, examining its eruption across multiple modes of expression and extending well beyond the centenary celebration,” explains Charlotte Cazals, Designer and Trend Forecaster at Peclers Paris. “This ability to rekindle wonder and challenge the established order is an incredibly rich and fertile ground for imagining new realities. It is these fresh interpretations of the Surrealist universe that Sur/Reality reveals,” adds Brune Ouakrat, Strategic Planner and Futurist.

From Weak Signals to Their Aesthetic Translations

This resurgence of surrealist logic in creative disciplines reflects a broader aspiration to “live differently.” Artists and creators from diverse fields are breaking free from the constraints of reality, crafting works that embody this phenomenon. Here’s a glimpse at some of the initiatives leading this movement:

• Laila Gohar, an internationally renowned artist, uses food as her primary creative medium. Together with her sister Nadia, she has launched Gohar World, a brand offering whimsical and surprising home objects and linens.
• The American start-up Prophetic is developing Halo, a device slated for release in 2025 that uses transcranial ultrasound stimulation to induce lucid dreams. Essentially, it offers a daydreaming experience as vivid as actual dreaming.

• Whether for Loewe or his own label, designer Jonathan Anderson plays with perception to destabilize the eye and twist reality. His complex volumes, trompe-l’œil effects, explorations of scale, and reimagined uses of objects redefine the concept of luxury.
• The graphic art studio Violaine & Jérémy transforms fantasy into an aesthetic medium. Beneath the lightness of their designs lies a deeper interrogation of established representations, often achieved by subverting familiar aesthetics in illustration and typography.
• At the Mandarin Oriental restaurant in Barcelona, chefs have reinterpreted fourteen recipes from Salvador Dalí’s cookbook, Les dîners de Gala. The result is a unique menu blending art and gastronomy, creating a culinary experience conceived as both a performance and a sensory delight.

Consumer Territory: Creative Stimulation and Immersive Wonder

The unreal and the absurd are powerful creative tools that immerse us in dreamlike worlds, appealing to emotions and, consequently, to the unconscious rather than reason. In a society of mastery, this right to imbalance serves as an invigorating pause, a welcome slowdown. A curated selection of creations that conjure alternative realities in everyday life:

How does the Sur/Reality principle influence interior design, retail, and hospitality? How can we use this aesthetic device and these new modes of use to respond to the consumer aspirations it implies? We will explore this in a future article.

Join the Peclers Paris team on Thursday, January 16 at 11 am for the OPENING CONFERENCE, where we will dive into Sur/Reality and the new territory of daydreaming in design and decoration.

Contact us to register.