By Shreya Chaudhuri
The fact that Salvador Dali (1904-1989) is one of the most popular artists of the 20th century goes uncontested. What has given newer fillip to art aficionados in the country is the exhibition celebrating the master-artist Salavador Dali. Although he never travelled to India, the exhibition titled Dali Comes To India, packed with over 200 works gives a glimpse into his world. These pieces are exclusively picked from the personal archive of the artist’s long-time collaborator, collector, and publisher Pierre Argillet (1910–2001), and the show is curated by his daughter, Christine Argillet who spent a part of her childhood in Spain near Dali, who was her father’s close friend.
Born and raised in the Catalonia region of Spain, Dali’s creative arc reached its high noon when he heavily weaved Surrealism into his practice in the late 1920s. He was one of the most crucial actors in the art movement of Surrealism. This was also the period when he was significantly enraptured by Sigmund Freud’s writings on the subconscious and theories on psychoanalysis which spilled over his dreamy and imaginative universe.
One of Dali’s most momentous masterpieces which received international acclaim is – The Persistence of Memory (1931) popularly known as ‘melting clocks’ which delved into the universal and timeless state of mind becoming synonymous with fluidity of time. His works, most often infused with illusionary qualities, with a spinoff on dreamlike landscapes creating curious, bizarre works of art, however with meticulous precision. Dali’s play with perception and intrigue in his paintings was often intended to challenge the notion of reality and enable spectators to see beyond the surface.
In this debut show in India, the rich assemblage of works include Dalí’s rare sketches, etchings, watercolours, and tapestries laid out before viewers. The highlight of this exhibit is that it entails a repertoire from diverse periods of his creative trajectory from his lived experiences.
Some of the eminent works in the collection include etchings from the Mythologie series (1963-65) which is Dali’s reinterpretation of Greek myths and mythology with figures of Theseus and Minotaur, Leda and the Swan, Pegasus, Icarus are drawn with meticulous precision and clarity.
The Secret Poems of Apollinaire series explores themes of war and violence encapsulating the ravages of World War I accentuating the female form. The Hippies series (1969) include works such as The Corridor of Kathmandu and Women in the Waves give a glimpse into the peak of the hippie movement in India. A handful of these sketches in the collection are said to have been inspired by photographs taken by Pierre Argillet during his travels to India in the 1970s.
The underpinnings of the artworks on display underscore the interplay of cultural, philosophical and mystical elements on the artist’s mental makeup. This forged ‘connection’ with the deep East and West philosophical, cultural exchanges foregrounding the relevance of this exhibition for the larger Indian audience.
In this rare opportunity to view Dali’s works in the national capital, the onlooker experiences Dali’s unforgettable legacy, one that crossed over cultures and artistic movements rendering both the master and his art an ageless identity. It’s the dream-like quality of his art that provokes the gaze of the viewer inviting them to dream on.
The exhibition was showcased at India Habitat Centre and is currently on view at Massarat Gallery until March 16.
