photo courtesy of philadelphia art museumThe Philadelphia Museum of Art has orchestrated the first Salvador Dali exhibition to be seen anywhere since the artist’s death in 1989 and the first in the United States in more than 60 years. Philadelphia is the only place in the United States where the exhibition can be seen from Feb. 16 through May 15, 2005.
Salvador Dali consists of over 200 works, 150 of which are paintings, the largest amount of Dali’s pictures to be on display at one time. Other pieces include sculpture, works on paper, photographs of Dali and a documentary section. Many of the works are being displayed in the US for the first time. The works have been gathered from both public and private collections in 14 countries.
According to Anne d’Harnoncourt, Director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, “Dali is one of the best-known artists of all time and yet 15 years after his death and despite such remarkable public recognition, his achievement has yet to be fully understood. This exhibition will provide a splendid opportunity for scholars, artists and visitors to encounter a complete and complex picture of the artist’s oeuvre.”
To enhance the exhibition The Philadelphia Museum of Art is offering a variety of educational public programs. Included with admission is an audio tour. The tour offers a commentary on many of the works by Michael Taylor and Dawn Ades, guest curator, and also by Anne d’Harnoncourt.
A one-day workshop is being offered called “Salvador Dali and the Art of Enjoying Catalan Wines” on April 30.
Two art history courses are being offered including “Surrealism and its Discontents” and “Dali, Dali, Dali: A Celebration of the Artist’s Life and Work.” Each course discusses realism and each is $80.
“The Conquest of the Irrational: Salvador Dali and the Limits of Surrealism” is a lecture being offered Friday Feb. 25 by Michael Taylor. The lecture is $20 after the Museum admission. An international symposium is being offered April 10 and 11 which will cover the significance of Dali’s theories and artistic production. Guest speakers from Spain, France, Great Britain, Ireland and North America will be presenting papers during the lecture.
The exhibition, arranged chronologically, displays Dali’s earliest efforts as an artist, his most notable surrealist paintings as well as paintings that he did in response to politics.
For more information visit www.philamuseum.org or www.dali2004.org. Tickets for the exhibition are $20 for adults, $17 for seniors and students and $10 for children. A special student price of $12 will apply between Feb. 16 and April 1, this includes the audio tour.
Posted to the web by Chris Gentile
