The immensely popular and successful exhibition, "Dali and Magritte," has ended its run at the Dali Museum, and the rotating exhibition space St. Petersburg's temple of surrealism is now occupied by "Before Dali: Goya -- Visions & Inventions," which opened June 15 and will run through Nov. 3.
The exhibition follows the life and works of Francisco Jose de Goya Lucientes (1746-1828), who deeply influenced Dali and was celebrated for his innovation in drawing, painting and engraving. Goya is considered by many scholars to be the introductory modern artist, bridging the gap between classicism and romanticism.
Visitors can view Goya's first-edition prints, published throughout Goya's lifetime, as well as three major paintings that are representative of the predominant themes in Goya's work. These works are on loan from the Meadows Museum in Dallas.
Several events are also planned in conjunction with the event. On Aug. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 11: 30 a.m., guests can attend a Coffee With a Curator event, where exhibition curator William Jeffet will discuss why Goya is one of the most important Spanish artists and how his influence on Dali came to appear in Dali's work. The event is free.
On Aug. 1 and Oct. 3, the museum will host a showing of the 2002 film, "Crazy Like a Genius," as part of their ArtFlix series. The documentary explores the adventures of art critic Robert Hughes as he travels across Spain in search of the "reality behind the mythology" of Goya. On Sept. 5, the museum will also host a showing of "Goya's Ghosts," a historical epic told through Goya's eyes. The backdrop for the film is the end of the Spanish Inquisition and the beginning of the invasion of Spain by Napoleon. Both films are free and located in the museum at the Will Raymund Theater.
One of the things that makes the Dali Museum such an unusual art museum is the embracing of technology to help patrons better understand surrealist concepts. Along with the Goya exhibition, the museum opened the artificial intelligence exhibit, "Dali Lives," on May 11, which would have been Dali's 115th birthday, and runs through Dec. 31. The exhibit uses artificial intelligence to simulate a conversation between guests and the artist himself. Guests can "engage" with the eccentric master artist (played by an actor, whose likeness and voice is simulated using archival footage and interviews, and whose dialogue is gleaned from writings, TV appearances, films and quotes from the artist) through a series of screens placed throughout the museum.
Admission to "Before Dali: Goya - Visions and Inventions" and "Dali Lives" is included with admission to the Dali museum ($25 adults, $23 seniors, $18 students with ID, $18 students 13 to 17, $10 children 6 to 12) Entry to the Dali also includes an audio guide to the permanent exhibition as well as content related to the Goya exhibit. Guests can also experience the virtual reality surrealist experience, "Dreams of Dali in Virtual Reality," where participants wear a VR Oculus headset to explore a fictional world inspired by Dali's works and his iconic symbols (runs through Dec. 31).