subject: Bizarre surrealist Dali museum in Figueres [print this page] Bizarre surrealist Dali museum in Figueres
In Figueres, a beautiful Catalan town on the Costa Brava, you can visit the Theater-museum of Salvador Dal where the surrealistic artist is buried in a crypt in the basement.
In the center of the Dal Museum, there is the old theatre of the town when Dal was a child. There was a fire in the theater at the end of the Spanish Civil War, in 1939. 20 years later, Dal agreed with the mayor of Figueres to turn the destroyed theater into his own museum. Why did he took this decision? Well, Dal defined himself as a theatrical artist, he had exhibited a painting for the first time there and he had been baptized in the church opposite the theater. Therefore,the former theater of Figueres was rebuilt in 1960 and became a museum dedicated to Dal, opening its doors opened in 1978.
The theater Dal Museum is the biggest surrealist work in the world. The facade of the building is decorated with croissants, its large transparent dome attracts immediate attention and the Tower Galatea, where Gaudi lived at the end of his life, has eggs around. The building houses a bizarre collection of his works including sculptures, paintings, gravings, popart and jewelery pieces, as well as other artists works.
Some of the most striking exhibited works are Port Alguer (1924), The spectre of sex appeal (1932), Soft self-portrait with grilled bacon (1941), Galarina (1944-45), Basket of bread (1945) and Galatea of the spheres (1952).
Dali also created some works expressly for the Theater-Museum. Remarkable is the Mae West room, whose face makes up the pieces of furniture of the room. The sofa is her red lips are the sofa, the chimneys her nose, the pictures are her eyes, the curtains her blond hair and the stairs are her chin! The room Palau del Vent is also impressive. There is a vast fresco on the ceiling showing how Dal and his wife Gala go up into heaven. Another good example you find in the ancient orchestra of the theater is Cadillac plujs, Gala's car.
So, I really recommend you visit Figueres in the Costa Brava and get into this bizarre museum which will make you flabbergasted.
