Surreal tree

Ikea has attempted to ‘depict a surreal vision of the future, when environmental concerns will be ever more at the core of the kitchen,’ it says.

Surrealistica, which is understood not be flatpack, will appear as part of the Surreal House exhibition at The Barbican on 12 August.

Standing like a nightmarish suburban white goods tree, Surrealistica, is designed to bring ‘fantasy and imagination to life’ through the ‘beauty of the silver birch tree intertwined with elements of an everyday kitchen,’ says Ikea.

Silver birch has been an inspiration for Swedish designers and artists, including Carl Larsson who painted Breakfast Under Big Birch in 1896.

The silver birch is believed to ‘protect people against evil spirits as well as symbolising love and fertility,’ says Ikea.

From the look of Surrealistica, the silver birch can also protect against the defenestration of domestic appliances in a future where outmoded machines are thrown from kitchen windows.

Ana Crona, marketing director for Ikea UK and Ireland, says ‘We chose to depict a kitchen as not only is this where we spend a month of our time every year, it’s where we can make a big difference to the impact our lifestyles at home have on the environment.’