A book-illustrative exhibition “The King of Mystification”, dedicated to the 115th anniversary of the Spanish artist, one of the founders and leading masters of surrealism, Salvador Dali (1904–1989), is held in the Art Documents reading room (room 306) from May 1 to May 28.
It is difficult to name another artist, with whose name there are related such a large number of myths. It is not surprising: Salvador Dali considered his existence in public to be another facet of creativity and therefore all sorts of new undertakings, sometimes scandalous, constantly provoked interest in his person. However, even outside the veil of outrageous, paradox and mystification it is quite clear that the universal maestro − painter, graphic artist, sculptor, designer, writer, poet, theorist, scriptwriter, author of the libretto − occupies a unique place in the artistic culture of the twentieth century.
At the exhibition there are albums, reproductions and postcards with the most significant, as well as less well-known works of the master, representing a mysterious, frightening and at the same time attracting fantastic spectacle. The works “Premonition of Civil War”, “Geopolitical Child Observing the Birth of New Man”, “The Constancy of Memory”, “The Temptation of St. Anthony”, “The Burning Giraffe”, “Face of War”, “Metamorphosis of Narcissus” and many other works in the viewer’s perception can associate with both evil and good. They express the paradox of Dali's talent, his unpredictability and uniqueness. The contradictions that tormented the artist gave rise to fancy pictures of the world in his imagination, pushed on the path of deliberate hoaxes. Across his works, he seemed to recall that "the sleep of the mind gives rise to monsters".
The most light and lyrical part of the exposition is devoted to the portraits of Gala, the artist's wife. She became his immutable muse, the inspiration of the genius of the great master, the embodiment of his alter ego. The exhibition shows a reproduction of the film "Leda Atomica" with the image of Gala, a true masterpiece by Dali, who initiated the religious period in his work.
The exhibition also includes biographical materials, among which the most vivid interest is the autobiography of Salvador Dali “Diary of a Genius”. Shocking revelations about his life and elegant ironic discourses about people and objects allow you to look at the world around you through the eyes of the greatest original person of the twentieth century. His own book “50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship” will help to evaluate the artist’s unexpected fabrications, imagery of unpredictable thinking and a better understanding of the work of the master of surrealism.
The opening hours of the exhibition corresponds to the library’s opening hours.
Entrance to the exhibition is available by the library ticket or ticket of the library's social and cultural center.
For more info: (+375 17) 293 27 53.
Е-mail: pr@nlb.by
Special Collections Department
