The omnipotence of dream: curating to contextualise

This paper explores transhistorical curation as a methodological and conceptual framework through a case study of The Omnipotence of Dream, exhibited at the Salford Museum and Gallery (2024–2025). Focusing on British Surrealism, the exhibition paired six historic works from the museum's collection with newly commissioned contemporary responses engaging directly with the originals. Drawing on curatorial theory, feminist critique, and posthumanist discourse, the research examines how this strategy challenges historical hierarchies and reanimates heritage collections within contemporary cultural debates. Using a practice-based approach combining curatorial planning, artistic production, and academic analysis, the study evaluates the project's outcomes. A case study of Eileen Agar's Room with a View of the Moon (1981) and four contemporary reinterpretations demonstrates the potential of transhistorical curation to foster intergenerational dialogue. The paper concludes that commissioning contemporary responses to historic works creates reciprocal relationships that deepen interpretive engagement, foreground overlooked narratives, and activate museums as sites of cultural critique. It argues that transhistorical curation is a vital tool for reframing art history, expanding museum relevance, and engaging audiences with intersections of gender, feminist and new animist ecology, identity, and materiality.