After immersive exhibitions dedicated to Van Gogh and Monet, it is Dalí’s turn to spend his multimedia moment in Montreal: the Arsenal of Contemporary Art offers a dive into the dreamlike universe of the Surrealist icon.
Many elements from the Catalan master’s hallucinating works are reinvented in projection in this digital art exhibition, which runs until September 4th.
Montreal is the fourth city on this international tour, which the producers say has already welcomed 200,000 people to Belgium, Italy and New Zealand. The exhibition does not show any original works by the painter, but animations from his most famous paintings. According to Paul Dupont-Hébert, the lead producer, it is above all the immersive dimension of the exhibition that will attract Dalí fans.
“It is very pleasant to have this experience and especially to see the movements in Dalí’s paintings. And these are movements that the Dalí Foundation accepted and said: “That’s what Dalí would have done if he had been able to integrate movements into his canvases today.” That’s why we continue to create with his blessing,” he emphasizes.
Paul Dupont-Hébert is behind other similar exhibitions held in several Quebec cities, all inspired by some of the most influential painters of the 20th century such as Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso.
“I send dreams,” he explains. I’m not a dream catcher, I’m a dream facilitator. »
He spent around five months creating the animations that were shown at two Arsenal venues. The most impressive room is filled with 7 meter high projections on 50 meter long walls. The Accommodations of Desire is one of many reinvented tableaux: big pebbles and lion faces dance side by side before dissolving into hundreds of crawling ants in a black room. The experience is complemented by a piano composition performed by the Florentine Stefano Patrizio.
Christ and selfies
The second room, filled with mirrors on every surface, presents works in 360 degrees. There, one can rediscover the metaphysical beauty of Christ of Saint John of the Cross in a presentation that will no doubt inspire selfies in the viewer.
Hundreds of paintings will also be reproduced and presented at the entrance to the exhibition.
“Here you have the opportunity to visit all of Dalí’s works in one hour. Which would not be the case with a normal Dalí exhibition, because it is impossible to have all the items on loan from the various museums,” explains Raphaël Ramiche, CEO of the Belgian company Tempora, which owns the international exhibition. The project was carried out in collaboration with Tandem Expositions, the Montreal company behind other Paul Dupont-Hébert exhibitions such as The Magic of the Impressionists in Quebec City.
The format of the exhibition also allows people “not used to going into museums” to get a glimpse into the artist’s life, adds Mr. Ramiche. The public can also discover some of Dalí’s lesser-known works, such as more than a hundred illustrations for the Divine Comedy, made to celebrate Dante’s 700th birthday in the middle of the last century.
“He’s a madman, he’s a contemporary, he’s a guy who plays with God, with the devil, with sex,” is how Mr. Dupont-Hébert justified his decision to reinvent Dalí in his latest project.
Adult tickets are $38 on weekdays and $48 on weekends. Groups of 4 or more receive discounts. Groups of 12 or more receive an additional discount.
“Price should not be an obstacle. It’s like being in the cinema and a bit more, argues Paul Dupont-Hébert. We want people to come. We want people to show that to their children. We want people to take grandpa and grandma with them. »
In Dali
An immersive exhibition at the Arsenal Contemporary Art Center, through September 4th