Surreal St. Pete
The Dalí in St. Petersburg, FL is the first museum dedicated exclusively to the works of well-known artist Salvador Dalí and also the largest exhibition of the Spaniard’s work outside of Europe.
You might be scratching your head right now, asking why St. Petersburg of all places has the honor of housing the largest collection of Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali’s works.
The exhibit exists primarily due to the married couple A. Reynolds Morse and Eleanor Morse from Cleveland, Ohio. The two began collecting the Spaniard’s works in as early as 1943 and eventually became friends with the artist himself, as well as his wife Gala.
Finally, in the 1970s, the couple agreed to donate their collection of over 93 oil paintings, 1,000 prints and an extensive library to a new, dedicated gallery, but only on the understanding that the works would never be sold to private collectors. Local residents of St. Petersburg heard about the plan through an article in the Wall Street Journal and threw their city’s name into the ring.
It was almost akin to David versus Goliath, with much more established museums also competing to preserve the precious art collection. Ultimately, St. Pete’s proposal won over the Morses and with it the Dalí Museum was born in 1982.
Exhibitions
The Dali in St. Pete houses the largest collection of works by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí outside of Europe. Among the works on display are popular classics such as:
- Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln
- Galacidalacidesoxiribunucleicacid (Homage to Crick and Watson (Discoverers of DNA))
- The Persistence of Memory
- The Three Ages
In total, the museum houses about 2,140 works. In addition to paintings, there are also various sculptures, drawings and literary material. A total of 8 of Dalí’s 18 most important works can be admired in the St. Petersburg exhibition.
Other artists dedicated to surrealism are also exhibited in regular temporary exhibitions.
Museum Architecture
Today, the Dalí is one of the city’s most renowned museums. This is not only due to its exhibitions, but also to its unique architecture, which would certainly be in the spirit of Salvador Dalí.
Designed by architect Yann Weymouth, the structure features a geodesic glass dome that allows natural light to illuminate the galleries inside.
In 2011 the museum opened an equally impressive extension named “The Enigma”. It consists not only of 18-inch thick hurricane proof walls, but also 1,062 triangular panes of glass, which lend a different character to the exhibitions inside, depending on how the sunlight illuminates them.
We feel like we should mention that the building also features a staircase in the shape of the Fibonacci sequence – how could it be otherwise?
A well-tended garden can be found in front of the glass and concrete colossus, lovingly called the avant-garden. In keeping with the general theme of the Dalí, you won’t be surprised to learn that avant-garden is not just a place to relax and admire its numerous plants, but is also a great place to learn more about the connection between mathematics and nature.
