Dalí Nearly Suffocates in Diving Suit at 1936 Surrealist Exhibition

In 1936, Salvador Dalí nearly suffocated during a lecture at the International Surrealist Exhibition in London, where he wore a deep-sea diving suit. The event, held at a Mayfair gallery from June 11 to July 4, was the first major Surrealist art show in Britain, featuring almost 400 works by 68 artists. Dalí entered towing two wolfhounds and spoke in French through the helmet, calling the audience 'blotches on the face of space' and demanding slides be shown upside down. One slide depicted a woman's foot and 'a bed of watercress,' which Dalí said represented 'Greta Garbo protecting herself against journalists.' After overheating, he was pried out and continued. The exhibition launched Surrealism in Britain, including works by Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, and Paul Nash.