Surreal House is a dream of a home

Given the popularity of Surrealism, it is increasingly difficult for our galleries to convey that sense of shock, even threat, that gave the movement its initial impetus and notoriety.

This show is a game attempt, and its chief success is in focusing as much on contemporary artists and architects who reflect the movement’s legacy as on the original Surrealists and artists in their orbit.

Using architects Carmody Groarke, the Barbican has created a labyrinthine house with themed rooms. It even has a doorbell in the shape of Marcel Duchamp’s breast-like Prière de Toucher (1947), and a toilet in a work by Ilya and Emilia Kabakov. It’s a vast show and a deliberately disorientating experience — works lurk around corners for maximum impact, and ominous shadows stretch across walls.

There are some wonderful moments where works from different eras collide beautifully, like Claude Cahun’s self-portrait curled up inside a cupboard and Francesca Woodman’s enigmatic and dreamlike images of herself in spare, derelict interiors.

In a coincidental tribute, the exhibition features several sculptures by Louise Bourgeois, who died last week. In this highly theatrical experience, which at times feels as much a stage set as it is a gallery, Bourgeois’s psychologically charged sculptures and installations are fitting protagonists.

Until 12 September (0845 120 7550, barbican.org.uk)

Surreal House
Barbican
EC2