wcw NOVEMBER 2023

Dalí Alive 360°
is a new dimension in storytelling
It illuminates the artist’s career and life with beautiful animation and music
Admittedly, Salvador
Dalí’s work can be a
challenge to process -
always interesting - but
challenging. The links
to Surrealism are numerous in his work
and reflect that time when dream analysis
and exploring the subconscious were
new concepts.
However, his many images of elephants
on stilt-like legs with towers on
them, clock/watch faces draped over
skin resembling a face — and that woman
having her breast painfully squeezed —
plus all those ants, lobsters and religious
iconography are bizarre to say the least,
but then I think he’d like that people
would say that. He loved attention and
was a great (some would say excessive)
self-promoter which is one of several interesting
takeaways from this Dalí Alive
360° at the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg.
The immersion is in a dome that is
actually outside the museum where you
enter to experience the show. Unlike the
various Van Gogh experiences, this is in
one room, has no fragrances, and is built
on strong narrative, great use of his images
(including ants “streaming” across
the floor) and gorgeous musical choices.
As you’ll learn in the not-too-wordy narration,
Dalí was shaped by his upbringing
and was one to always challenge conformity
and authority. It’s enjoyable and you
will learn a lot, like his work in Hollywood
with director Alfred Hitchcock and his
work designing ballet sets. To me, some
images show Dalí as an influencer for Star
Wars and even Monty Python.
About Dalí Alive 360°
“The dynamic animations of Dalí’s works
featured in “Dalí Alive” illuminate the
challenges and triumphs of his artistic
career and provide visitors the sensation
of stepping into the life of Dalí himself.
“The experience immerses the visitor
in Dalí’s surreal landscapes, iconic melting
clocks and mind-bending illusions
with touchpoints from the artist’s childhood
in Spain, through his introduction
to the surrealist circles in Paris, his refuge
in America and finally his return to
Spain. Each of these eras of the artist’s
life prompted a response from Dalí, leading
to his constant reinvention,” from the
Dalí press release.
Constructed in the Museum’s
Avant-garden, the Dome’s steel framework
stands 39 feet tall and 60 feet in diameter.
It is designed to withstand pressures
from hurricane winds and storm
surges. Inside the Dome, the projection-mapped
digital images will dynamically
display from the floor to the top of
the structure.
For tickets, visit
TheDali.org/DaliAlive360.
The Dalí is located at One Dalí Boulevard,
St. Petersburg. For more information,
visit TheDali.org or download the
free Dalí Museum App.
NOVEMBER 2023 WEST COAST WOMAN 31