Legendary Spanish artist Salvador Dali’s works have landed in Seoul! Located at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, you can find an exhibition titled Salvador Dali: Imagination and Reality until March 20, 2022.
The exhibition hosts a substantial selection of art pieces. Yet, it’s only a small portion of the works Dali created during his lifetime. The collection features original canvases on loan from the Dali Museum in Spain. The limited exhibition allows Seoul-based audiences to take a closer look at the beauty and wonder of the timeless paintings. However, you won’t have to travel all the way to Spain.
Who is Salvador Dali?
A painter whose skills and vision make him deserving of the title of the ‘greatest Surrealist of his time’, Dali’s works are at once enchanting, curious, and haunting. He is arguably most known for the piece titled The Persistence of Memory. The most notable feature of the image is of melting clocks. The piece has become a motif that has been imprinted on the world as a uniquely Dalinian work of art. With playful yet heavily-detailed, meticulous brushstrokes he has painted his mark upon civilization. His works truly leave an impression on the senses.
It was clear through the exhibition that Dali loved art. The exhibition explained that Dali studied art avidly as a student. He dabbled in many different styles and mediums. He found himself inspired by a wide variety of things around him. Besides just painting on canvas, he would go on to implement his work in the form of cinema and costume as well. The dizzyingly wide range of work he left behind as his legacy is a gift to experience and surround yourself with.
Artwork That Transcends Time
Although I walked into the room not knowing much about Dali as an artist, I walked out completely in awe. I was almost breathless. In spirit, the silence of the canvases echoed through me. Although Dali lived almost a hundred years before the present day, his eccentric heart seemed so undeniably present in the exhibition room.
Upon seeing his work, I could not help but feel as if time had stood still. As if I was obsolete. I found myself capsulated in time in the small, roped-off space between myself and the canvases.
Along long lines, exhibition-goers shuffled from painting to painting. On a conveyor belt of knowledge, each visitor could be seen learning more about the extraordinary art and the man behind it as their eyes blazed through the small explanatory print. Beside each frame filled with painstaking brushstrokes, each minute of tireless labor was still obvious even after so many years had passed.
If you are a lover of art and beautiful things I urge you, no – beg you to visit this exhibition by Salvador Dali in Seoul. You need to see these extraordinary paintings for yourself. Although I have visited plenty of exhibitions during my time in Korea, none have lingered in my consciousness like that of Dali’s. He is an artist truly deserving of the title of ‘legend’.
Dongdaemun History and Culture Park Address: 281 Eulji-ro, Euljiro 7(chil)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul Directions: Dongdaemun History and Culture Park (DDP) Station Exit
If you’re visiting Salvador Dali in Seoul during the month of January, be sure to catch the light show. The entire outside of the building will become a gallery. It is a truly memorable experience that you don’t want to miss! The main event will start at around 9:30 PM. You can read about last year’s light show by >>Clicking Here<<
