Dalí

Who is Dalí? A genius? Or perhaps a madman? A serious artist? A frivolous joker?

I am in no position to judge the man borned as Salvador Dalí i Domènech, one of Spain's most famous sons. One can attempt to search for an answer in 4 museums in the North of Spain - Teatre-Museu Dalí, Dalí·Joies (both in Figueres), Castell Gala Dalí (in Púbol) and Casa Salvador Dalí (in Portlligat) - which present some of Dalí's works and also give glimpses of his life. (http://www.salvador-dali.org/museus)

Teatre-Museu Dalí, Dalí·Joies - Figueres

I first took a day trip from Barcelona to Figueres and Púbol. It was easy to get to Figueres via train from Barcelona. From the Figueres train station, follow the signages to Teatre-Museu Dalí (about 10-15 minutes walk). Look out for art installations along the way: 

This is so clever!

Dalí was borned in 1904 in Figueres and for this reason, his hometown was chosen as the site of museum dedicated to his works. In the 1970s, the Teatre-Museu Dalí was built upon the remains of an old theatre which was partially destroyed in the Spanish Civil War and then burnt down by pro-Franco troops. The basic structure had survived and with that, Dalí designed the central patio, exhibition halls, a small roof garden and a transparent cupola.

The collection in Teatre-Museu Dalí showcases usual works (such as the Space Elephant and Dance of Time) that are typically exhibited overseas. It also exhibits his lesser known early paintings from 1918 (which are less flamboyant) to gigantic art installations that almost reaches the roof from the ground floor. Some of the works, such as the Mae West installation in the Mae West room, were created expressly for the museum.

The famous "Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment" installation, as seen from different angles:

Mae West installation, viewed from the ground level

Mae West, dissected

Mae West, viewed from on top a flight of stairs and in front of a glass

The title of this painting cracks me up but I suppose everyone, including the masters, goes through the stage of learning and imitation.

Copy of a Rubens Copied from a Leonardo

Dalí·Joies - Figueres

The Dalí·Joies is in the annex to Teatre-Museu Dalí but has a separate entrance which leads one into a very dark room. While I find the exhibits in Teatre-Museu Dalí interesting, I find the jewellery exhibition in Dalí·Joies fascinating. Here, the original designs on paper and the resultant jewellery are exhibited. Whilst critics would think that the jewellery are frivolous, Dalí declared, "The Dalí jewels are totally serious." 

Study for the jewels: 'Leaf Veined Case'. 'Unicorn', 'Lobster Bracelet' and 'Mobile'

The resultant 'Leaf Veined Hand' brooch

The eerie stairway to more jewellery exhibits

SImilar to some of the art installations in Teatre-Museu Dalí, some of the jewellery have moving parts such as wings that flap and doors that open and close continuously. I LOVE 'The Royal Heart' which beats:

Castell Gala Dalí - in Púbol

The visit to Teatre-Museu Dalí and Dalí·Joies took up the entire morning. Afterwhich, I took a train to Flaçà and a taxi to Púbol to visit Castell Gala Dalí in the afternoon. The taxi driver was kind enough to leave me his name card so that I could call him when I want to return to the train station (which I did not, but that is another story).

The Castell Gala Dalí was purchased by Dalí in 1969. It was a dilapidated mediaeval building and Dalí restored and decorated it for his wife, Gala. 

He preserved the existing structure and deliberately kept the deteriorated exterior. 



The interior decoration was a clear demonstration of his love for his wife. One will see images of Gala everywhere. She even had a throne protected by 2 lionesses.

An almost life sized image of Gala placed on top of the door

Gala's throne

Dalí worked with many different mediums but not many people would know that he also designed patterns for clothes. In Castell Gala Dalí, there is a two piece suit worn by Gala that has patterns designed by Dalí (definitely not something I would wear!):

  

Casa Salvador Dalí - Portlligat

I had wanted to give Casa Salvador Dalí a miss as initially, there were no available tickets to the museum. The reviews of Casa Salvador Dalí and Cadaqués by tourists on various websites were so good that I decided to check for tickets again when I returned from Púbol. I was lucky as this time, I found 2 slots available on the next day at 2.40pm (I think they were returned tickets). A quick check on the internet showed that a bus will reach Cadaqués from Barcelona at 1.15pm. This would then give me enough time to drop my bag at a hotel and walk to the museum. (SARFA bus, the only form of public transport, stops at Cadaqués. It is a 15 minutes walk from Cadaqués to Portlligat. Check the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí website for other travel options.) I booked a hotel room at Cadaqués, packed my bag and left Barcelona the next morning. I am glad I managed to get the ticket as Casa Salvador Dalí turned out to be my favourite among the 4 museums.

Casa Salvador Dalí was where Dalí lived and worked until when Gala passed away in 1982. He had taken over a fisherman's hut in 1930 and transformed the hut little by little into a house over 40 years. 

One can only imagine the process that took place as the final architecture turns out to be "labyrinthine structure which, from one point of departure, spreads out and winds around in a succession of zones linked by narrow corridors, slight changes of level and blind passageways" (source: Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí).

Even the pet birds had a view

The house's focus point is the Portlligat Bay. Windows in different shapes and sizes allow plenty of natural light and provide views of the bay. 

Dalí also installed a mirror next to the window (picture on the right) across his huge bedroom so that the sunrise is reflected into the mirror and he can view the sunrise in his bed (picture on the left):

Pulley system on the wall and slit in the floor

Dalí had a workshop on the second storey. The floor in the workshop has a slit and a pulley system moves the drawing board up and down 2 floors so that he could draw on huge canvases.










The rooftop garden offers more sea view and plenty of exhibits.

There are more of Mae West's lips next to the swimming pool and in the Bear Lobby at Casa Salvador Dalí.

Tips

• All 4 museums are closed on Mondays so plan the visits accordingly.
• For fans of Dalí, a visit to all 4 museums is a must (and I am not even a fan of the man's works). If time is not a deciding factor, one can be based in Figueres and visit all 4 museums over 2 days. If time is a deciding factor (especially if one is not driving), I would suggest Figueres since it has 2 Dalí museums and is the easiest to manage in terms of transport.  
• Arrive early at Teatre-Museu Dalí as a queue forms shortly after the museum opens its doors (and it gets longer later in the day). One may also need to queue to view some exhibits (such as "Face of Mae West Which Can Be Used as an Apartment")
• There are very clear signages which leads one from the Figueres train station to the museum BUT there is none that shows you how to get to the train station. Remember how to get to the museum and retrace your way back!
• There are art installations on the way to Teatre-Museu Dalí and outside the museum. Look out for them.
• Bring along some €1 coins to the Teatre-Museu Dalí. There are some art installations that move when €1 is inserted.
• There is no public transport that goes to Castell Gala Dalí. The taxis are parked outside the train station in Flaçà. If the taxi driver is not in the taxi, approach the Flaçà train station staff for assistance and they will point out a taxi driver. Remember to get a name card from the taxi driver so that you can call for the taxi after the visit to Castell Gala Dalí. Taxis are very difficult to come by in small villages like Púbol. Otherwise, follow what I did and walk 5km back to the train station.
• Purchase the ticket to Casa Salvador Dalí beforehand. Find an available slot online, book it and turn up on time. I saw the museum turn away people who arrived with no ticket.