There are quite a few places around Europe and the US where you can see scattered work by Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. Dalí has a lot of casual fans out there who may be satisfied with seeing a few pieces here and there by chance at various museums. But few people have heard of the Dalí Theater-Museum in his home town of Figueres in Catalonia, which is a must-see for anyone remotely interested in Dalí or any kind of art. Unlike other “Dalí Museums,” the one in his native Figueres is a surrealist experience in itself.
Dalí Theater-Museum - Exterior
Located about 140 km north of Barcelona near the French border, Figueres is a quaint small town that would be miss-able if it weren’t for the amazing Dalí Theater-Museum. The building itself used to be a theater during Dalí’s childhood but it was greatly damaged during the Spanish Civil War and remained in ruins until Dalí and the town’s mayor decided to renovate it and dedicate it to housing Dalí’s work. Today, the artist is buried there, in a building that can be considered the world’s biggest piece of surrealist art. The building is painted red on the outside, with 3D loaves of Dalí’s favorite bread all over it, and huge eggs and golden sculptures on top. Inside there is a giant glass dome and a courtyard with a car in which it “rains” to nourish the plants growing inside.
Dalí Theater-Museum - Inside the "raining" car
Dalí was not only a painter, but also a sculptor, photographer, and film maker as well. At the Theater-Museum, you can observe pieces in every medium from throughout his lifetime such as early sketches, murals, drafts, posters, photographs, films, holograms, and sculptures, including a piece that is made up of a giant pair of lips, a nose, and two framed pictures of eyes that, all together, are supposed to look like Mae West from above (there is a staircase to climb for observation).
Dalí Theater-Museum - Mae West from the ground
And since the place was designed by the artist himself, you should be on alert the entire visit and try to observe every crazy detail. For example, don’t forget to look up…even in the plainest room, you might miss a bathtub on the ceiling!
Besides all this, the museum also houses Dalí’s own personal art collection and some of his possessions, including some of his wife’s amazing jewelry.
The price for a visit is a bit higher than a normal museum (€11 full price, €8 reduced price) but I really found it to be worth it. Before having visited the museum, I was one of the casual fans I mentioned at the beginning of the post, but I definitely came out with a real appreciation for his genius and better understanding of the artist’s inspiration and mental processes. The place is quite interactive, so even those familiar with little more than “The Persistence of Memory” will no doubt find the museum interesting and fun.
Dalí Theater Museum - Sketch in ink
During the summer, it is open every day, but check the official website below for detailed information on opening hours, tickets, travel directions, and more.
You can see some Salvador Dalí drawings and sculptures without having to leave Belgium! PS: Loved the post! Bathtub on a ceiling? I want to see that!
Thanks for the tip! And yes, there are strange details everywhere but I don’t want to give too much away
Strange museum but well worth a visit if you like Salvador Dali’s work