Figueres, 28th September 2024
The Dalí Theatre-Museum celebrates its 50th anniversary with four major projects: three exhibitions that will run until the summer of 2025 and a documentary. These projects explore Dalí's unique vision of art history and his museological approach. One of the central pieces is the latest acquisition by the Dalí Foundation: a surrealist oil painting from 1932 titled The Birth of Liquid Anguish.
The documentary The Dalí Theatre-Museum: A Brief but Clear History of Art, by Salvador Dalí, lasting 20 minutes, connects the three exhibitions. Based on an article by Dalí published in 1947, the film offers a personal take on art history, from classical art to American hyperrealism. It uses archival materials, artworks, and documentation from the Dalí Studies Centre, along with old photographs and films, guiding viewers through the museum using Dalí's own words. It is a production of the Dalí Foundation, directed by David Pujol with a script by Montse Aguer.
The exhibition The Dalí Theatre-Museum: A Living Organism shows the creation process of the museum, Dalí's last great work, and how this institution remains a living space in constant transformation. Curated by Rosa M. Maurell and Clàudia Galli, it includes 50 pieces: preparatory drawings, photographs by the photographer Meli, and a 5-minute audiovisual showing Dalí working on the construction of the museum.
The exhibition The Soft Photographic Apparatus: A Dalinian Vision, also curated by Maurell and Galli, explores Dalí's lesser-known facet as a museum visitor. It features 27 photographic reproductions of painters who influenced Dalí, some of which are previously unseen. This exhibit reveals how Dalí's gaze was shaped by his experience as a museum visitor, which he saw as places of learning, enjoyment, and creation. Dalí, who spent much of his life visiting museums, dedicated his final years to creating his own museum, offering visitors the chance to immerse themselves in his artistic mind.
Lastly, the exhibition My Favourite Painters: Velázquez, Vermeer, Raphael, curated by Carme Ruiz and Lucia Moni, focuses on the three most important artists for Dalí. It presents 14 pieces, including paintings and a hologram. The first section is dedicated to Velázquez and includes a Dalinian reinterpretation of Las Meninas, exploring Dalí's fascination with the illusion of reality. The section on Vermeer focuses on The Lacemaker and highlights Dalí's interest in the art of contemplation. Finally, the third section, dedicated to Raphael, reflects Dalí's admiration for the painter as a symbol of humanism and perfection.
Together, these projects not only celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Dalí Theatre-Museum but also offer a deep insight into Dalí's relationship with art history and his own masterpiece, inviting the public to discover how Dalí viewed museums as spaces for play, experimentation, and reflection.
