Dali theater museum: Fundació Gala – Salvador Dalí

How to get there | Fundació Gala




DALÍ THEATRE-MUSEUM
Address Access Contact

 Gala-Salvador Dalí Square, 5


E-17600 Figueres. Catalonia

Entrance: Gala-Salvador Dalí Square, 5


Exit: Mª Àngels Vayreda Street

Phone: + 34 972 677 500


tmgrups(ELIMINAR)@fundaciodali.org

Airports

Girona, Barcelona, Perpignan

Road

Barcelona: AP7 motorway (Barcelona-la Jonquera), Figueres exit, or take the main road Nacional II (Barcelona-France). Drive to the city centre.

Perpignan: A9 motorway (Perpignan-la Jonquera), then take main road Nacional II until Figueres or AP7 motorway (la Jonquera-Figueres).

Train

Line Barcelona – Figueres (RENFE)

Line Perpignan – Figueres Vilafant (SNCF)

Line Cervera – Figueres  (SNCF)

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is 12 minutes walking distance from the station.

Line Paris – Figueres-Vilafant (AVE / AVANT)

Line Barcelona – Figueres Vilafant (AVE / AVANT)

Bus

Line Girona Airport – Figueres (SARFA)

Line Perpignan – Figueres (EUROLINES)

Bus Vilafant-Figueres

Line Barcelona and Maresme Coast – Figueres (SAGALÉS)

Taxis

 Figueres and Vilafant Phone: + 34 972 500 008

Car Park

Look at the car park map

WE SUGGEST

To fully enjoy the visit of  the three Dalí Museums, you need at least two days. The distance between the three Dalí Museums is  40 kmfrom Figueres to Portlligat (Cadaqués) and another 40 km from Figueres to Púbol (near la Bisbal d’Empordà, heading in the Girona direction

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  • Dalí Theatre-Museum

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    • Antoni Pitxot
  • Dalí·Jewels

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  • Gala Dalí Castle Púbol

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    • History
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  • Salvador Dalí House Portlligat

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The Dalí Theatre-Museum in Spain: Salvador Dalí’s last great work

Detail of the façade of the Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres.

Catalonia

Catalonia

Spain is the birthplace of some of the greatest talents in the history of art. Creators with the most varied personalities and styles, who find common ground in their devotion to the country in which they were raised. It is for this reason that many of these artists have allowed their legacies to remain in Spain, to be shared with the rest of the world. Such is the case with Dalí and his Theatre-Museum, which he himself designed in homage to his own career in art.

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Where did the idea come from?

In the 1960s, the mayor of Dalí’s home town of Figueres asked the artist to donate one of his works to the town’s Ampurdán Museum. Dalí decided that the town deserved a lot more than just one of his works and that, instead, it would be the place in which his art lived on. And so the project to build his own museum was born.The next step was to choose a site on which to build it. The artist was fond of the Figueres Municipal Theatre, not just because of his predilection for theatrical works, but also because he held a very treasured memory there: its lobby hosted his very first exhibition. However, the building was practically destroyed by air raids during the Spanish Civil War. So Dalí chose to rebuild the theatre to house his museum.

Hall in the old Municipal Theatre in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia

©

Vladimir Sazonov

Ten years later, Dalí devoted himself body and soul to the museum’s conception, accompanying his team through every stage of its construction and taking care of every last detail so that the building would faithfully reflect his eccentric personality. Everything was ready by the day of its inauguration, and on 28 September 1974, the doors of the Surrealist museum were opened and the public invited in to immerse themselves in Dalí’s universe. Its huge, transparent dome – designed by the architect Emilio Pérez – has become the museum’s most iconic feature. Your attention might also be drawn to the black Cadillac parked in the central courtyard, or the curious red façade crowned with a line of egg-shaped sculptures. But wait: what’s inside the building is even wackier. 

Detail of the cupola of the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia

©

Oficina de Turisme de Figueres

The interior decoration has been carefully designed right down to the smallest detail, allowing visitors to feel as though they were actually inside one of Dalí’s paintings – as the furniture comes together to simulate one of the artist’s works. Take the Mae West Room, for example, designed by Dalí and Oscar Tusquets, in which each item of furniture is not merely decorative, but has been chosen and placed for a specific purpose: so that, when viewing the room as a whole, a three-dimensional portrait of the actress is created. Hence the famous lip-shaped sofa. This space creates an incomparable impression that has to be experienced in person.Likewise, Dalí created other monuments designed to be placed in the museum. These include, for example, the Wind Palace Room and the monument to Francesc Pujols.

Detail of the Mae West Room at the Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres.

©

Lornet

The works by Dalí exhibited here trace the evolution of his art over time,allowing the public to view even his earliest artistic practices. By visiting the museum, you can admire works such as “Port Alguer” (1924), “The Cosmic Athletes” (1943), and “Leda Atomica” (1949). However, the museum is not just home to works by Dalí, as the artist also wanted to exhibit works by artists such as Evarist Vallès and Antoni Pitxot. It was Dalí’s wish to be buried here after his death. His crypt now forms part of the museum.A museum that rose from the ruins of a former theatre, in which every detail of its structure shares some connection with its creator’s life, making it more than simply the rooms in which his works live on.

View of the courtyard of the Dalí Theatre-Museum, Figueres.

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Dalí Theatre-Museum in Spain: the last great work of Salvador Dali

Detail of the façade of the Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia

Catalonia

Catalonia

Many great artists were born in Spain. The personalities and styles of the authors are very different from each other, but they are all united by the love for their country, which saw their first steps. Therefore, many of them left their heritage in Spain so that she could share it with the whole world. So did Dali, creating a theater-museum, which he dedicated to his development as an artist.

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How did this idea come about?

In the 1960s, the mayor of Figueres, Dali’s hometown, asked the artist if he could donate any of his works to the Ampurdan Museum in Figueres. Dali decided that his city deserved much more than just one painting, and that it had to be a place where his art would continue to live. Thus, the project of our own museum was born. The next step was the selection of the site where it will be built. The artist was very fond of the municipal theater of Figueres, not only because he was a great connoisseur of theatrical art, but also because his first painting was exhibited in the lobby of this theater. The building was practically destroyed by bombing during the Civil War. Then Dali decided to restore the theater and arrange his own museum in it.

Hall on the old stage of the municipal theater of Figueres in Girona, Catalonia

©

Vladimir Sazonov

Ten years later, Dali devoted himself entirely to the arrangement of the museum, participated in all stages of its construction and made decisions on all issues so that the building reflected his extravagance. And on September 28, 1974, the Museum of Surrealism opened its doors, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the Dali universe. Its hallmark was a transparent dome designed by architect Emilio Perez. Perhaps your attention will be drawn to a black Cadillac parked in the yard, or an interesting red facade topped with stone eggs. Don’t rush to leave, the inside of the building is even more amazing than the outside.

Detail of the dome of the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia

©

Oficina de Turisme de Figueres

The atmosphere of the interiors of the halls is thought out to the smallest detail so that visitors can feel like they are inside one of Dali’s paintings. Take a closer look: the furniture of the rooms as a whole repeats what could become one of his works. For example, the Mae West Hall, created by Dali and Oscar Tusquets, where each piece of furniture is not just a decoration. All of them are selected and arranged for a specific purpose: to make the general appearance of the room reflect the image of the actress. For example, here is her famous sofa in the shape of lips. The space creates unique experiences that must be experienced personally. In addition to this hall, Dali created other works for this museum. This is the Hall-Palace of the Wind and the monument to Francesc Puyol.

Detail of the Mae West Hall at the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia

©

Lornet

The works of Dali, exhibited in the museum, reflect the development of his work and acquaint visitors even with his first attempts at writing. In the exposition of the museum you can see such paintings as “Port of Alger” (1924), “Space Athletes” (1943), “Atomic Leda” (1949). Not all works exhibited in the museum are the work of the artist. Dali wanted the museum to also feature works by such masters as Evariste Vallès and Antoni Pichot. Dali bequeathed that after his death he would be buried there. Therefore, the museum has his tomb. A museum erected on the ruins of an old theater, where every detail of the construction is related to the life of its creator, turning it into something more than a place to store his creations.

Detail of the courtyard of the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Girona, Catalonia

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Tourists come from Barcelona to Figueres first of all to visit the Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum. In this small Catalan town, the famous surrealist artist was born and spent his last days.

  • Unusual building of the Dalí Theatre-Museum
  • What to see in the Dali Museum
  • Crypt of Salvador Dali
  • Naked Gala – President Lincoln
  • Rain Taxi
  • Mae West Face Room
  • Palace of Winds Gallery
  • Dali Jewelry
  • Around the Dalí Museum
  • Opening hours
  • Video Dali Theatre-Museum
  • Ticket prices for the Dali Museum
  • How to get to the theater-museum of Salvador Dalí
  • Attraction map

The unusual building of the Dalí Theatre-Museum

The Dali Theatre-Museum was opened in Figueres in 1974. It was conceived and built by the artist himself on the ruins of the old city theatre. Dali chose this place not by chance. First, he was an outstanding theater artist. Secondly, opposite is the church of Sant Pere, where Salvador was baptized. Thirdly, it is in the lobby of this theater at 19In 1818, the first exhibition of the young artist was held.

The theater, destroyed during the civil war, was in ruins for a long time. This ghostly charm and mystery of an abandoned building was also used by the artist to create the atmosphere of a museum.

Entrance to the Salvador Dalí Theater Museum and a monument to the Catalan philosopher Francesc Pujols

The building of the Dalí Museum is not to be confused with any other museum in the world – its peculiarity is the glass sphere above the former theater stage. Later, the museum’s architectural ensemble included a neighboring house and the Galatea tower. Giant eggs on the tower add to the unusual look of the museum, while the bright burgundy walls are decorated with golden loaves of bread. Salvador Dali considered the egg to be the primary source of all living things, bread was also the artist’s fetish, and these images can often be seen in his works. Now the pop-art silhouette of the museum is the hallmark of Figueres.

What to see in the Dali Museum

The museum is called the largest surrealist object and the last work of Salvador Dalí. Despite the fact that Dali’s individual works are exhibited here, his theater-museum must be perceived as a single work – after all, it was conceived and made by the artist so that visitors penetrate into the exciting and unique world of his work. There are no booklets, audio guides and guides in the museum – the visitor must himself understand and join the work of the outstanding provocateur and surrealist.

But in fact, without a guide or a description in the museum it is difficult to navigate. Therefore, we will tell you about the main exhibits.

Salvador Dali created the museum inspired by the image of his beloved Gala. By the way, the real name of the artist’s wife is Elena Dyakonova. In the museum, several exhibits and the Galatea Tower, built according to the sketches of the artist, are dedicated to her.

White slab on the floor – the crypt of Salvador Dali

The crypt of Salvador Dali

The Galatea Tower became the last residence of the artist, here he died at 1989 year. Salvador Dali bequeathed to bury himself so that people would walk on it. Many museum visitors do not even suspect that they are walking on the grave of the artist, who is buried in a crypt in the center of the theater-museum in a hall under a glass sphere.

Naked Gala – President Lincoln

In the hall under the dome you can also see an unusual painting “Nude Gala watching the sea.” It seems to be drawn with large pixels, and if you move 18 meters away, then a portrait of US President Lincoln appears in the picture.

Salvador Dali’s Naked Gala in the center

Rainy Taxi

Surrounded by golden mannequins looking down from the ledges of the walls, there is a huge installation – a car with a column and a boat on top.

The title of the work in English is a play on words. Car Naval. Rainy taxi “- can be read as Carnival and as a Marine car. Perhaps the Carnival is an allusion to the theater or even the whole life of Salvador Dali.

The Rainy Taxi was originally made by Dali for the World Surrealist Exhibition in Paris at 1938 year. According to legend, once he got wet in a downpour, and people drove by in warm taxis, and no one cared about the artist. And in this work, Dali took revenge on them – if you throw a euro into a coin acceptor, inside the Cadillac it starts to rain on passengers.

Rainy Taxi at the Salvador Dalí Museum

At the Figueres Museum, the rainy taxi appears in its final form. On the hood of the car is a statue of “Great Esther” – a symbol of justice and revenge. She is harnessed to Trajan’s column of car tires. Trajan is a Roman emperor who was interested in Dali. At the top of the column is a black figure made by Dali based on Michelangelo’s sculpture The Rebellious Slave. A slave holds a boat with blue drops hanging from the bottom. This is a real boat – a gift from the artist Galya. Blue drops are condoms filled with paint. According to one version, they mean that Dali knew that his muse and wife on this barge were looking for their young lovers on secluded islands.

Gala’s boat – spouses and muses of Salvador Dali

According to another version, Dali conceived this work as his tombstone. In the image of a rebellious slave who broke the chains of conventions and conquered the heights of art, he saw himself. And above the slave – only the abode of the Goddess and the muse – a boat presented to Galya. And the condoms under it are a response to slander and a way to liken Gala to the gods, because by bathing in the sperm of young slaves, the goddesses prolonged their youth. This version fits well with an umbrella that opens on the mast of the boat when it rains in a taxi.

Mae West’s Room-Face

If the title of the work is literally translated, it will be “Mae West’s face that can be used as an apartment. ” In 1935, Salvador Dali turned the face of an American actress and sex symbol of the time into a living room. This room is a face in three dimensions: the eyes are two pictures, the nostrils are two burning fireplaces, the lips are a sofa, a huge wig is hung from the ceiling – curtains. Unusual furniture folds into a woman’s face, if you look at the room from above – from a special staircase – through a lens.

Mae West’s Face Room at the Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum

Gallery of the Palace of the Winds

This is the former foyer of the city theatre, this room hosted the first exhibition of the 14-year-old Salvador. In the museum, this room has become the artist’s home: on the right is a bedroom, on the left is a workshop, and in the center is a hall with his works. Particular attention here should be paid to the ceiling, where the biggest illusion of the theater-museum is located. Throwing your head back, you can see two figures soaring in the clouds – this is Dali himself and his wife Gala. The body of the artist, as in his first surrealistic paintings, is a closet with open drawers. Dali himself said that visitors see the earth instead of the sky, and instead of the earth there is the sea.

View across the Dali Museum to the church where Salvador was baptized

The museum has the largest collection of Dali’s heritage – more than 1500 exhibits. They cover the work of Salvador from the first artistic searches (impressionism, futurism, cubism) to the famous surrealistic paintings and works of the last years of his life. In addition to the works of Dali himself, the museum exhibits paintings by other artists from his personal collection.

Dalí Jewels

At the exit of the museum are the Dalí – Jewels Exhibition Rooms, opened in 2001. They present a collection of unique jewelry made according to Dali’s sketches.

Around the Dali Museum

At the entrance to the museum there is a kind of monument to the Catalan philosopher Francesc Pujols, with whom Salvador and Gala were friends. The bust of Pujols is mounted on the head of Homer, whom Dali honored as a pioneer in the world of the subconscious. The large figure with an egg for a head is probably Salvador Dali himself.

Newton monument by Dali

On the way down to Carrer de la Jonquera street there is a monument to Isaac Newton and the law of attraction he discovered. Salvador Dali portrayed the great physicist with an apple, the fall of which prompted the discovery. But the sculptor allegorically connected it with the fruit of the knowledge of Adam and Eve and placed it inside the through body of the sculpture. The hole in the body symbolizes openness and sincerity, and in the head – receptivity and objectivity.

Opposite the main entrance to the museum is the Church of Sant Pere, where Salvador Dalí was baptized.

From the Gala Tower begins Pujada del Castell, which leads to the largest bastion fortress in Europe – Castel Sant Ferran. The young Salvador Dali served in it.

Opening hours

November 1 – February 28 10:30 – 18:00
1 – 31 March 9:30 – 18:00
April 1 – September 30 9:00 – 20:00
1 – 31 October 9:30 – 18:00

Last admission 45 minutes before closing.