Dali Museum St. Pete: Simply surreal!

The Salvador Dali Museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida is home to the largest collection of works by Salvador Dalí outside of Europe. That sounds like more than meets the eye at first glance. The building itself also steals the show from the actual aim of making the artist’s incredible creativity accessible to mankind.

After the first “Wow, what a building” and the 96 oil paintings of the really very special Dali style, you might wonder two hours later where the other 2,000 or so works of art are and whether that’s all there is to it.

Then you should know that the collection of 2140 works also includes over 100 watercolors and drawings, 1300 prints, photographs, sculptures and other art objects. Unfortunately, we had the misfortune during our visit that only the gallery with the oil paintings was open to the public and a second gallery was closed for cleaning work – with the same admission price, mind you.

Salvador Dalí the surrealist

You can get annoyed for a moment, shake your head and then be happy again that you’ve seen these pictures. Because they are stunning. Eight of Dali’s 18 masterpieces are in the museum alone.

The oil paintings show Dali not only as a surrealist, but also his great versatility in works such as still lifes, landscapes and portraits, which he painted at the beginning of his creative period. Later came his famous double images, optical illusions, geometric and holographic paintings.

Fascinating. Disturbing. Ingenious

Salvador Dalí was many things – provocateur, visionary, genius with a moustache. But one thing he was certainly not: ordinary. It is precisely this feeling that is conveyed with every second in the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The building itself is a statement: a mix of concrete block and glass dome, reminiscent of Dalí’s melting forms. Inside is one of the world’s largest collections of his works – including oil paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs and even fashion designs.

A real highlight from the painter: the surrealist masterpiece “The Burning Giraffe”, which not only gives you goosebumps because of its imagery, but also because of its psychological depth. The well-known “soft clocks” from The Persistence of Memory are also present here.

Whether art connoisseurs on the one hand or the curious on the other: The Dalí Museum is more than just a museum – it is an experience for all the senses. Anyone who wants to experience Florida beyond the beach and theme park will find what they are looking for here. And perhaps leave with a slightly different view of reality. In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the museum also offers:

• Interactive VR experiences where you can enter Dalí’s world digitally
• an impressive open staircase inside the museum, inspired by the golden ratio
• the Dalí Garden, where art and nature come together in harmony

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