Where The Surrealist Found His Inspiration

Spanish artist Salvador Dalí never travelled to India in his lifetime. However, 200 of his original artworks— including rare etchings, sketches, watercolour paintings and a rare tapestry- have made it eastwards as part of an exhibition titled “Dalí Comes To India.” An effort by Bruno Art Group, the never-seen-before pieces are part of Pierre Argillet’s collection, a long-time collaborator of Dalí, while Christine Argillet, Pierre’s daughter provides a curatorial direction to this first-of-its-kind exhibition. While debuting at the Visual Arts Gallery, India Habitat Centre, the show is currently taking place at Massarrat by Bruno Art Group and can be visited till March 16, 2025.

Salvador Dalí Comes East

When evoked in public memory, an image of a meticulously groomed man (sporting a flamboyant upturned moustache) with wide, intense eyes conjures up. A proponent of surrealism, his artworks are best known for invoking imagery that draws from his subconscious mind. In his dreamscapes, commonplace objects find a frequent mention, albeit changed bizarrely. “The Persistence of Memory” (1931) one of Dalí’s most recognised artworks, features a motif of deformed clocks, juxtaposed against a calming landscape. His body of art has reached an iconic status worldwide, also because of the different philosophical and cultural references that the provocateur bore in his work.

Curator Christine Argillet, in an exclusive with Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, shines a new light upon Dalí’s artistic influences from many corners of the globe. “Dalí was an extremely open person with a great interest in other philosophies and cultures. In a certain sense, he wanted to be a universally understood artist,” reveals Argillet. “In the late 60s, beginning of the 70s, Dalí had this uncommon vision of a Western interest for the spiritual Eastern (the Hippie movement among them) and vice-versa, he would see the interest of Easterners in Western culture,” the Los Angeles and Paris based curator mentions further.

While the world is full of distinct terrains and ideas, the inspiration one finds closer to home is often the most profound. Where did Dalí seek the comfort of home and a striking sense of artistic identity?

Empordà: Where It All Began

“My mystical paradise starts on the plains of the Empordà, surrounded by the Les Alberes hills, and reaches plenitude in Cadaqués Bay. The landscape is my ongoing inspiration,” Dali once said about his native Empordà, in north-east Catalonia. While the bright blue Mediterranean lapping against the stretch of Costa Brava has kept up with the tourism burst, Catalonia’s quieter, more tamed scapes have retained a rugged charm that often goes unnoticed by throngs of tourists.

Empordà, in true standout fashion, presents a scenic juxtaposition of terrains: bustling beaches and calm inland, rugged mountains and plains, sheltered coves and open beaches. With a distinguished geographical location, one that stretches between the Pyrenees, the Costa Brava, and La Garrotxa, it is no secret that this Mediterranean region has been referred to fondly in the works of Dalí and other creatives, including writer Josep Pla, who called it El meu país (My Country). Above all, the region cradles art, nature, and history, with each element closely intertwined in a way that inspires deep reflection. The region retains its medieval centres, so spot well-preserved historical sites including Castell de Peralada, Pals, Torre de les Hores, Peratallada, and the streets of Begur, to get a glimpse of Catalonia’s rich history.

Dalí-ying Through A Surrealist Lens

For art aficionados, three towns in Empordà would stand out: Figueres, Portlligat and Púbol. Lay out the map of Catalonia and draw lines connecting them, you would sketch out a triangle, otherwise referred to as the “Dalí Triangle.” The route traces the regions that were of great inspiration to the aforementioned artist during his lifetime, but also makes for a memorable road trip as you pass through the arresting sceneries of Costa Brava.

Púbol: The Gala Dalí Castle-Museum

Although the region is dotted with medieval castles, only a few are as magical as the Castle of Púbol. The lush scenery of Catalonia frames the backdrop of this Gothic-Renaissance fortification that traces its origin to the 11th century. The historic place has seen different faces over time- from a fortified military place to a royal castle, but none as captivating as it became after it caught the eye of the visionary. When Dalí chanced upon the castle, it was in a dilapidated state, but with a sense of melancholy, romance, and persistent mystique. The artist purchased the castle for his wife and lifelong muse Gala, and it remained the place of seclusion and peace for the latter until her death in 1982.

The story goes, that Dalí would only visit the castle upon written permission from his wife, a pact that some find obscure while others celebrate as a devotion to love. During their time together, they decorated it with paintings that he had brought as a gift and filled the space with furniture that came from their antiquing trips. Dalí had also imprinted the place with his surrealist vision—the castle’s outbuildings were turned into works of art that stay intact to this day. The piano room, the Gala Crypt and the long-legged elephants in the garden all mimic Dalí’s signature eccentricity.

A tour through the castle is unlike any museum visit. While you gawk at the surreal castle decorations, sculptures that bedeck the garden, and other mystical elements, they do not appear as remnants of a distant past, but as belongings of a living, breathing person, only frozen in time. It is not a lavish hideout, but a personal and grounded representation of their lives in some ways, the only point of difference being its artistic abundance.

Figueres: The Dalí Theatre-Museum

The second vertex of the “Dalínian Triangle” rests in Figueres, a small town situated 40 kilometres north of Púbol. Not only his birthplace but also where he spent the final years of his life, the capital town of Alt Empordà and the artist have grown synonymous as the years pass by. The cobbled pathways are rife with mentions of Dalí, in the forms of art galleries, cafes and gift shops.

Of course, the legacy of the surrealist finds a space in the Museum Of Toys, dedicated to showcasing the rich, and in many ways, overlooked, history of the toy industry in Catalonia. With a wing dedicated to Salvador Dalí, many of his childhood artefacts are preserved in time. Here, you will spot his family photos, postcards and toys, including a teddy bear shared by Dalí and his sister Anna Maria.

If you roam around the town further, one of these will catch your attention: a glass geodesic dome, eggs adorning a roof, and walls painted in a piercing pink tinge, with bread loaves protruding through. An abundance of theatrical displays indicates that you have arrived at The Dalí Theatre-Museum, exhibiting the largest body of his work. Once a theatre where a teenage Dalí presented his works, the place suffered severe damage after the Spanish Civil War. In the turn of events later on, Dalí decided to gift an entire museum to his home town, turning to the ruins of the Municipal Theatre to transform it completely. The result? An embodiment of Dalí’s “creative hallucinations,” sometimes bizarre, other times nightmarish.

That was perhaps the intent of the visionary. “I want my museum to be a single block, a labyrinth, a great surrealist object,” he was noted saying, “It will be [a] totally theatrical museum. The people who come to see it will leave with the sensation of having had a theatrical dream.”

As visitors enter the central patio, the famous “Rainy Taxi”- a striking installation commands their attention. An eerie three-dimensional artwork features mannequin occupants– a male chauffeur and a female passenger, the latter donning an evening dress and surrounded by shrubbery. Covertly, an ingenious water pipeline is activated as soon as a coin is inserted, causing rainfall inside the taxi.

The exhibition inside the museum is a comprehensive look at Dalí’s produce across different mediums, such as paintings, sculptures, photography and holographs. You can trace the origins of the artist’s creative journey, including his early influences in impressionism, futurism, cubism and more. Turn to the Wind Palace Room and Jewel Room which houses 39 original jewels designed by Dalí, or head to the Mae West Room, a series of scattered installations that form the face of the namely actress when you view it through the lens at the top of the staircase.

Portlligat: The Salvador Dalí House Museum

Complete your Salvador Dalí experience by going to Portlligat Bay in Cap de Creus Natural Park, where you might surrender to the irresistible charm of this quaint fishing village, just as the artist did back in 1930. It is not very difficult to understand why Dalí decided to buy a fisherman’s hut to delight himself in panoramic views and isolation. He and Gala moved into the space after they married in 1934.

Over the years, their residence turned into a winding complex as they expanded into neighbouring huts, decorating it with personal objects and mementoes as time passed, until the Spanish Civil War. After returning home from this exile in 1948, Dalí redesigned it into a fresh space, which is how it stands to this day. Some of these important changes include a keyhole-shaped swimming pool and a courtyard that overlooks the Portlligat landscape, a constant reference in Dalí’s work. Their houses have three differentiated zones: the duo’s private living areas, his studio and the outdoor space, all open to the public as part of the Salvador Dalí House Museum.

Related: Discussing Artistic Curation That Transcends Borders With Art Curator Amin Jaffer

Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

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