Alex, can you tell us a bit about Dalí Paris?
It’s quite a family and friendship story. Dalí Paris is a museum featuring a private collection of more than 300 original works, amassed during 40 years from Dalí and major collections.
Our aim for almost 30 years is to present the wide range of Dalí’s talents and techniques. Today we’re welcoming more than 150.000 visitors per year, and after a full renovation last year, we are introducing more and more technology to turn a traditional museum visit into an interactive visitor experience.
Alex, you have been part of the Dalí Universe for over a decade, where does your passion and love for art come from?
I have always been passionate by history and art history. However, before my 18, I was more interested in literature and theater than in visual art.
I think that the first turning point occurred when, at the age of 18, with good friends, we decided on a whim, to make our own road trip in Italy. During one month we crisscrossed Florence, Sienna, Roma, Venice, Verona, etc. without books, without teachers or parents. I felt overwhelmed by the emotions raised by all the wonders that hit you suddenly along the streets. Remember that (in 1981!) smartphones had not yet been invented: no Instagram, no WeChat! We were just like the first explorers… please don’t laugh.
Ten years after, I met Mr. Levi, the founder of the Dalí Universe collection, who was a key player in the art field since the 60s, and an expert in modern art. We had planned to meet 30 minutes but our discussion lasted for 4 hours. I was captivated and when he offered me to join the adventure, I shake his hand immediately.
What an incredible story Alex! It brings back memories from when I was a teenager and we did a school trip to Italy. For anyone having a passion for art and history, Italy is for sure one of the 1st stops on the map!
Earlier on, you mentioned technology, so how do you deal with technology? I mean how do you match a XXth century artist with the latest technology? Isn’t it anachronical?
Dalí is universally known for his wonderful ability to communicate and his virtuosity to convey dreams and feelings. His obsession was to use the images and words from his imagination to create a new reality. Dali was passionate about technology and he continuously explored innovation especially in the field of optics. Throughout the 1970s Dalí played with optical illusions and created holography, anamorphosis and illusions. His ambition was to make his paintings alive.
Dalí frequently used the metaphor of “mental cinema” and in some drawings show the eyes like the lenses of a projector: for him the canvas is a projection screen, literally.
So clearly, Dalí was at the cutting edge of the technology, and it is almost a duty to keep up Dalí’s inclination for technology.
''Dalí is universally known for his wonderful ability to communicate and his virtuosity to convey dreams and feelings. His obsession was to use the images and words from his imagination to create a new reality. Dali was passionate about technology and he continuously explored innovation especially in the field of optics. Throughout the 1970s Dalí played with optical illusions and created holography, anamorphosis and illusions. His ambition was to make his paintings alive''