Surrealist pioneer Dorothea Tanning celebrated in new exhibition at Viktor Wynd
Exhibition opening and book signing on 3 June
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History are jumping up and down with excitement as they announce an exhibition celebrating the work of Dorothea Tanning, opening to the public from 4 June to 13 September 2026.
This major presentation will be the largest exhibition of Tanning’s prints ever staged in London, bringing together a remarkable selection of rarely seen works drawn both from the museum’s collection and a significant private Cornish collection, alongside a curated group of posters that illuminate her enduring visual imagination. (Quite a few of the works normally hang in Viktor Wynd’s bedroom)
About Dorothea Tanning
Dorothea Tanning (1910–2012) was a pioneering figure of 20th-century Surrealism, known for her psychologically charged imagery, dreamlike interiors, and unsettling transformations of the everyday. Though often associated with her early paintings, Tanning’s printmaking forms a vital and dynamic part of her oeuvre. Her prints—ranging from etchings to lithographs—reveal a meticulous attention to line, texture, and narrative ambiguity, offering viewers intimate access to her evolving artistic language across decades.
The works on display traverse Tanning’s fascination with metamorphosis, identity, and the subconscious: Figures dissolve into space, fabrics ripple into uncanny forms, and domestic settings become sites of quiet dislocation. The accompanying posters for her own shows further demonstrate how her visual vocabulary extended beyond the gallery, translating her surreal sensibility into bold, graphic compositions that retain both elegance and unease. The exhibition is part of long running series over the last 20 years dedicated to highlighting great 20th century female artists. Previous exhibitions have been dedicated to Leonora Carrington, Ithell Colquhoun and Maeve Gilmore. Future exhibitions are planned of Madge Gill and Grace Pailthorpe.
Opening Reception and Book Launch
An opening reception will be held on 3 June 2026 from 6 to 8pm, offering guests an exclusive first view of the exhibition. This special evening will also celebrate the presence of Alyce Mahon, who will be signing copies of her newly released monograph Dorothea Tanning: A Surrealist World (Yale University Press, 2026).
Alyce Mahon is an internationally respected art historian and leading authority on Surrealism, whose research has significantly shaped contemporary understanding of women artists within the movement. Her new study of Dorothea Tanning offers a deeply researched and vividly written account of the artist’s life and work, drawing on previously unpublished archival material and her work as guest curator of the first major exhibition of Tanning for the Reina Sofia Museum and Tate Modern during 2018-2019. The book provides fresh insight into Tanning’s creative evolution, making it an essential companion to this exhibition and a major contribution to Surrealist scholarship.
