Salvador Dali exhibit to open in Herzliya next month
World-renowned surrealist artist Salvador Dali will have his legacy preserved in Israel next month. The Spanish painter and sculptor’s exhibition of over 100 works titled “Salvador Dali: A Journey Into Fantasy” begins July 9 and will remain in the Arena Mall in Herzliya for three months.
The exhibition features pieces from Jewish gallery owner and president of the Dali Universe Benjamino Levi’s extensive personal collection. His collection features bronze sculptures of various sizes as well as glass pieces and collage works.
Dali’s iconic art pieces include the lip sofa, liquid clocks, and the Lady Godiva sculpture, and are featured prominently in the collection. In addition to physical art pieces, exhibition visitors can explore Dali’s works through the lens of virtual reality glasses.
The exhibition is organized by Hadran, an international travel and exhibition company that has brought collections of Van Gogh and the Titanic to Israel in previous years.
Following a hiatus in large gatherings due to COVID-19 pandemic, Hadran promoter Yuri Leschev is looking forward to returning art to the Israeli community.
“People are really hungry for normal life,” said Leschev. “They just want to live normally, and that’s why an exhibition like this is great entertainment for the individual and for the whole family”
Leschev is most looking forward to displaying the beauty of Dali’s large works, which are appropriately named Monumental Sculptures. One of these sculptures, the Nobility of Time, which will be located at the entrance to the arena, is representative of Dali’s mixed style of art. The piece features both technical elements, the structure of the clock, as well as mystical and symbolic aspects, including angel and female forms.
Dali’s inclusion of the female form is a common thread through many of his works. The exhibition, which will be divided by theme, will include a section dedicated to Dali’s representations of women. The artist frequently used women as muses for his works, including his wife, Gala, who was a model in many of his pieces.
Dali was revolutionary in the progression of various art styles in the 20th century. He improved upon styles ranging from impressionism and pointillism to futurism and cubism.
Leschev foresees Israeli viewers connecting with Dali’s diverse and eccentric works on a deeper level because of the artist’s complicated connections to Judaism. Dali was often criticized by other surrealists as an antisemite and Hitler-sympathizer. However, he also published a series of 25 drawings, commissioned by Shorewood Publishing and Israel Bonds, for the 20th anniversary of the State of Israel. The 1968 work titled “Aliyah, The Rebirth of Israel” is inspired by biblical texts as well as more contemporary history of the Jews.
Additionally, one of Dali’s monumental sculptures, a menorah, is located at Ben-Gurion Airport.
Some genealogy experts have speculated that Dali is partially Jewish, an identity that even he may not have been aware of, due to the Spanish Inquisition.
The exhibition will attempt to pay homage to the complicated, self-described madman that Dali was, as his legacy will continue to influence the art world for years to come.
Tickets are available for NIS 139, full price, or NIS 119, presale. There is also a discount available for American Express cardholders.