Dalí art exhibition: Rare Salvador Dalí artworks come to India for first time

Although Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí never visited India, his works are about to be exhibited in the country for the first time. The exhibition will open in New Delhi on Friday, showcasing over 200 original Dalí sketches, etchings, and watercolors, offering viewers a visual feast. The anticipation is high as art enthusiasts prepare to immerse themselves in Dalí's unique artistic vision.

The curator of this exhibition is Christine Argillet, the daughter of French collector Pierre Argillet. Pierre Argillet was not only a collector but also a friend and publisher of Dalí, maintaining a close working relationship with the artist. Their bond extended beyond professional collaboration, fostering a deep understanding of Dalí's creative process.

In an interview with the BBC, Ms. Argillet stated, "Dalí was fascinated by India, especially during the 1960s and 70s, when the Western world was deeply attracted to Indian mysticism." Some of the sketches on display were based on photographs taken by her father during his visit to India in the 1970s, a time when the hippie movement was at its peak, and many young Americans traveled to India with guitars in search of spiritual fulfillment. These works capture the essence of that era and Dalí's interpretation of it.

Dalí's works contain Indian elements, such as elephants and temples, but as with all his works, these elements are not always easy to spot, as they are presented in the artist's signature surrealist style. In Dalí's works, human heads sprout flowers, eyeballs dance in distorted lines, and dismembered body parts interact vividly with the surrounding world. With prolonged gazing, these seemingly unrelated shapes form new connections and meanings in the mind. The complexity and symbolism within his art encourage viewers to delve deeper into their own interpretations.

"Appreciating Dalí's work is like peeling an onion, you keep discovering new and amazing things," Ms. Argillet said. Akshita Agarwal of the Bruno Art Group said that bringing Dalí's works to India was a long and arduous task. "This project took five years, and every sketch and artwork had to be authenticated." The dedication to authenticity ensures that viewers experience Dalí's art in its purest form.

Strictly speaking, this is not the first time Dalí's works have come to India. In 1967, Dalí designed a set of whimsical ashtrays for Air India as gifts for first-class passengers. In return, Dalí asked not for money, but for a baby elephant. Uttara Parikh, then Deputy Commercial Director of Air India, recalled to The Times of India that she initially searched for a baby elephant in a zoo in Mumbai, but eventually came back empty-handed. She eventually found a baby elephant at a zoo in Bangalore (now Bengaluru), and Air India airlifted the elephant to Spain and kept it in a zoo until its death in 2018. (Dalí had exciting plans for the elephant, such as crossing the Alps, but his wife dissuaded him from trying to implement these plans). This anecdote reveals Dalí's eccentric personality and his penchant for the extraordinary.

Dalí's demands may seem outrageous, but those familiar with the artist and his works know that this is very much in line with his personality. Dalí was born in Spain in 1904 and grew up in a world that embraced avant-garde art and dealt with the impact of two world wars. His contemporaries, such as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and André Breton, were all looking for new ways to express themselves and their ideas, and their artistic styles had a profound influence on the young Dalí. He was part of a generation that challenged conventions and pushed the boundaries of artistic expression.

The surrealist movement, widely regarded as founded by André Breton, resonated strongly with Dalí. According to Breton, surrealist art advocates a form of expression "governed by thought, free from rational control." Dalí was also deeply influenced by Sigmund Freud and his psychoanalytic theory—psychoanalysis is a method of treating mental illness by focusing on conflicts originating in an individual's mind. Dreams have special significance because they are believed to express a person's repressed thoughts and desires. These influences shaped Dalí's artistic vision and his exploration of the subconscious.

Therefore, Dalí's works reflect many of these ideas—they have a dreamlike quality, and through free association, the visual effects present a meaning that is unique to the viewer. They also contain visceral, almost shocking imagery, like forbidden desires hidden in the subconscious. Ms. Argillet said: "Dalí was a free-thinking person who embraced all aspects of humanity, especially those that are taboo and disturbing." His willingness to confront uncomfortable truths made his art both provocative and deeply insightful.

The artist's outward appearance reflected his colorful view of life. He wore ornate suits and had an upward-curling mustache that seemed to be in danger of stabbing his eyes. In a 1955 BBC interview, Dalí revealed the origin of his famous upward-curling mustache. He said: "Dates, do you know this fruit? At the last moment of dinner, I didn't wipe my fingers, but put a little on my mustache, and it kept its shape very effectively all afternoon." But he later revealed that he used a strong wax to shape his mustache. In the same interview, he described his mustache as "very happy, very sharp, very aggressive." His flamboyant style was an extension of his artistic persona.

Ms. Argillet had close contact with Dalí through her childhood and adolescence, often spending summers in Spain with her father, and she recalled that Dalí was a humorous person who liked pranks and "shocking the bourgeoisie." On one occasion, he encouraged her to take some candy from his bedroom and throw it at the fishermen on a nearby beach. It turned out that the candy was cherry bombs, which annoyed the fishermen and forced the young Ms. Argillet to run away and hide. Ms. Argillet said: "At one of his parties, he had a turtle crawling with an ashtray on its shell." These anecdotes illustrate Dalí's playful nature and his desire to challenge societal norms.

But she added that he was also a shy, intuitive, and observant person who had a knack for reading people's minds. He painted in his studio wearing shorts and slippers, and according to Ms. Argillet, it was Dalí's shyness that made him over-perform in public. "He was misunderstood by many people. Dalí has many layers, just like his paintings," Ms. Argillet said. "The more closely you look at his paintings, the more you understand Dalí." This perspective offers a deeper understanding of the complex man behind the surrealist masterpieces.

The exhibition "Dalí Comes to India" will be held at the India Habitat Centre from February 7 to February 13, and at the Masha Art Gallery of the Bruno Art Group from February 15 to March 16. This provides ample opportunity for art enthusiasts to experience Dalí's unique vision firsthand.