Surreal century

Director of modern and contemporary art at the Scottish national galleries Simon Groom says it's fitting that the show is being staged this year — the movement's centenary, as marked by the publication of French poet Andre Breton's Manifesto of Surrealism in 1924.

The name surrealism literally means "beyond realism". The genre takes inspiration from dreams, the irrational, the unconscious and the world of imagination, Groom says.

"It allows us to dream, to imagine worlds that do not yet exist or alternative realities — to this end, it is profoundly human, which is why I think surrealism — of all the avant-garde movements of the 20th century — is the one that has had the most influence not just on artists but on society and culture in general, from film and fashion to literature and advertising."

One of the most iconic exhibits is Lobster Telephone by Dali, who made 11 "lobster receivers" to fit the telephones at the house of Edward James, his friend and patron whose home he decorated.