Opened just a few days ago (end of March), you can visit a new Salvador Dalí exhibition in Budapest. 'New' also covers the unusual way of approaching his work, almost saying to the visitor 'We are aware that there are famous paintings such as The Burning Giraffe or the Young Woman at a Window, but trust us, we can show you exciting pieces beyond these'. And here we are, in the middle of downtown Budapest, at Király Komplex, where you can get lost in the more hidden world of Dalí until the end of June.
Among more than 200 exhibited pieces there is not a single super-famous painting. You might recognise the flaming red sofa though, inspired by the lips of Mae West. However, the lack of the iconic artwork is not disappointing at all. Dalí's oeuvre is enormous, exciting and varied enough that it would easily fill an even bigger exhibition space. Yes, it gives one the (good) chills to marvel at a world-famous painting, but this exhibition is memorable without that element.
The Dalí Universe, located in Paris, is one of the biggest private collections of Dalí's pieces. Its founder is a gallery owner and art collector, Beniamino Levi. He and the painter had known each other since the 1960s, and they cherished a good friendship and work relationship. Levi was the one encouraging Dalí to start sculpting again. And he did. Hence, numerous original maquettes and plans were created, later turning into sculptures and objects. You will also get to see some of these at the exhibition.
Besides the spectacular sculptures, you can see a collection of jewellery and furniture made by the Catalan artist. However, what we find even more capturing are the etchings and lithographs. Dalí created a series that pays homage to Sigmund Freud, one inspired by dramas of Shakespeare, and others for Dante's Divine Comedy and the Bible.
You can visit the exhibition until the end of June at Király Komplex. Find more details here.
