LONDON ART FAIR 2026 OPENS WITH SURREALIST REVIVAL

## The Material Verdict London Art Fair opens today with surrealism as its secret weapon. The National Trust partnership delivers museum-quality modernist works that have never left their original homes. ## What Landed in Islington The 38th edition transforms the Business Design Centre into a surrealist playground. Max Ernst paintings hang beside Henry Moore stringed sculptures. Rita Kernn-Larsen's dreamscapes face Roland Penrose collages featuring Lee Miller. These works come from two architectural gems: Ernő Goldfinger's 2 Willow Road in Hampstead and Patrick Gwynne's stilted Homewood in Esher. Both houses remain frozen in their original 1930s and post-war configurations, complete with built-in furniture and calculated sight lines. ## The Signature Move The National Trust's first large-scale exhibition of modernist art represents a material honesty rarely seen in fair presentations. These pieces were selected by architects for specific rooms, specific light conditions, specific conversations. England & Co marks 90 years since the 1936 International Surrealist Exhibition with Marion Adnams's Dark River and John Banting's Guitar Faces. The works carry the patina of lived experience rather than sterile gallery walls. ## Why It Works Market timing explains the curatorial confidence. Classic Surrealist auction sales jumped 131.6% between 2018 and 2024, while Contemporary Surrealists surged 264.8% in the same period. Dr Ferren Gipson's Platform section, titled The Unexpected, pushes material boundaries through craft-adjacent practices. The fair's 120 galleries span Francis Bacon to emerging ceramicists, creating density without chaos. Temperature matters here: these are objects meant to be touched, lived with, argued over at dinner parties. ## Cultural Impact London Art Fair positions surrealism as inheritance rather than rebellion. The National Trust partnership legitimizes the movement's domestic integration, proving these radical visions became comfortable truths. The fair runs through January 25th, launching the international art calendar with substance over spectacle.