Dali in Moscow Valley:
a Blockbuster not to be missed
a Blockbuster not to be missed
By Polina Treskunova and Kate Biriukova
The exhibition "Salvador Dali: Magic Art" will be hosted in the Manege Central Exhibition Hall from January 28th till March 25th, 2020. It is the first comprehensive exhibition of the famous Spaniard in Russia.
The Faberge Museum in St. Petersburg and "The Link of Times" Foundation (founded by billionaire Viktor Vekselberg) brought to Moscow more than 180 works from different periods of Dali's life — not just his trademark surrealistic pieces, but also Impressionist and even Cubist works.
Opening hours of the exhibition are from 10 am to 11:45 pm on Thursdays to Saturdays, from 10 am to 8:45 pm on Sundays to Wednesdays. Admission is 600/750 rubles, although there is a discounted entrance ticket for students and pupils (300/350 rubles). You can use an online audio guide during your visit.
The majority of artworks come from the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation in Figueres (Spain) and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), as well as private European collections.
Opening hours of the exhibition are from 10 am to 11:45 pm on Thursdays to Saturdays, from 10 am to 8:45 pm on Sundays to Wednesdays. Admission is 600/750 rubles, although there is a discounted entrance ticket for students and pupils (300/350 rubles). You can use an online audio guide during your visit.
The majority of artworks come from the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation in Figueres (Spain) and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (Madrid), as well as private European collections.
| Thanks to the exhibition's scope, it is possible to follow Dali's whole creative career and to explore all stages of his development as a painter. There are 6 exhibition halls with paintings from the youthful Impressionistic landscapes of the 1910s to the late abstractions of the 1980s. Two of the sections are especially attractive to visitors: the huge white hall with Dali's colorful small illustrations from his own book "50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship" and the space with two giant installations made in his honor by students of art faculties. It looks very colorful and juicy and exactly worthy of your attention. Also there you may find a Surrealistic piano shaped fountain and something like a ship, but with a woman instead of a ship hull. |
Apart from iconic paintings from his Surrealist and Nuclear mystical periods (including "The Invisible Man", "Soft Self Portrait with Grilled Bacon" and "Maximum Speed of Raphael's Madonna"), the exhibition features drawings, watercolors and engravings, some of which were shown at an exhibition at the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg in 2017.
The exhibition is definitely impressive thanks to excellent lightening and deep red color of the walls, where the quotes of Dali are printed in huge bold letters. The paintings are colorful and intriguing and you can look at them for hours trying to understand their meaning. The audio guide is very helpful if you want to learn more about Dali's biography and the story of the creation of his paintings.
It may seem that this exhibition is ideal, however that's not true. There were a number of problems.
Firstly, the place was very crowded. This made it difficult to see the paintings and other masterpieces: too many people were blocking the view. Secondly, all these people were taking photos and videos in front of Dali's works, so it was impossible to fully enjoy the exhibition. The atmosphere was not quite enough to fully immerse yourself and feel Dali's creativity.
Finally, the price was too high for the experience: 750 rubles for standing in the crowd for more than two hours and hardly seeing any of Dali's works is a bit inflated price.
Firstly, the place was very crowded. This made it difficult to see the paintings and other masterpieces: too many people were blocking the view. Secondly, all these people were taking photos and videos in front of Dali's works, so it was impossible to fully enjoy the exhibition. The atmosphere was not quite enough to fully immerse yourself and feel Dali's creativity.
Finally, the price was too high for the experience: 750 rubles for standing in the crowd for more than two hours and hardly seeing any of Dali's works is a bit inflated price.
Despite some inconvenience, the exhibition is an event you simply can't miss. Montse Aguer, the Director of the Centre for Dalinian Studies and the exhibition's curator, said at the press conference: "Dali has known the history of art very well, and in this exhibition we will see that many of his works contain references to the great masters — Vermeer, Velasquez, Michelangelo, Raphael — but we will also see that he loved to experiment."
Montse Ague added: "Dali wanted to be immortal. These exhibitions and the number of people who are waiting in line to see his pictures shows Dali's popularity." If ticket sales are any indication, it is already clear that this exhibition will be one of the main blockbusters of 2020.
Photos by Polina Treskunova and Kate Biriukova
