Figueres, Salvador Dalí's hometown

Figueres is a small town in Catalonia, known to the world as the birthplace of Salvador Dalí. In the city centre is the Teatre-Museu Dalí, or Dalí Theatre-Museum, which not only presents the oeuvre of the most famous figure of Spanish surrealism, but is itself a work of art that completely dissolves the boundaries between reality and dream. The museum opened in 1974, partly in the former municipal theatre building, which was bombed during the Spanish Civil War. Dalí participated in the creation of the museum not only with his exhibited works, but also with the concept of the entire space, making this place a particularly authentic and personal imprint of his eccentric genius.

Entering the museum, one is immediately confronted with the visual and intellectual cavalcade that was characteristic of Dalí. For example, the black Cadillac that dominates the courtyard is not only a vehicle, but also a sculpture and an installation, which Dalí transformed into a “rain convertible”. The central domed hall, under which the artist himself rests, exudes a fascinating atmosphere, and it is as if the visitor becomes part of a dreamlike theatrical scene. The museum does not present Dalí’s works in chronological order, but rather a kind of surrealist labyrinth, where paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations and optical illusions are all present.

A visit to the Dalí Theatre-Museum will reveal a number of works of art that not only showcase Salvador Dalí's style and technical prowess, but also provide a glimpse into the artist's bewilderingly complex world of thought. One of the most iconic works is titled "Portrait of Lincoln," which at first glance appears to be a female nude, but if you take a few steps back, the image dissolves into pixels and reveals Abraham Lincoln. His portrait unfolds before us. This painting is a perfect example of Dalí's fascination with optical illusions, and how he plays with the viewer's perception and perspective.

Another notable work is “Cloud Atlas” or “Galatea among the Spheres”, which depicts Dalí’s wife and muse, Gala, in a form constructed of floating spheres. The image is both romantic and mystical, and reflects Dalí’s interest in quantum physics and geometry. The female figure, made up of spheres, is translucent yet detailed, almost floating in space, as if looking back at us from another dimension. This work is a good example of Dalí’s spiritual and scientifically inspired works of his late period.

One of the most famous rooms houses Mae West room, where the furniture and objects are arranged in such a way that, when viewed from a given point, they appear to be a female face, specifically a portrait of a Hollywood diva. This playful and imaginative approach is a perfect example of how Dalí thought about the relationship between space and vision. The museum is particularly interesting because it houses many works of art that cannot be seen anywhere else, as Dalí specifically intended them for this purpose, or that would have remained in private ownership if they had not been included in this collection.

Salvador Dalí's painting The Passing of Time is one of the most famous and enigmatic works of surrealism, depicting the relativity of the passage of time and the dream-like functioning of human consciousness. The painting shows melted clocks, with this scene Dalí questions the traditional interpretation of time and space, while the influence of Freud's dream theories can also be detected. The painting is symbolic: the melted clocks express the fragility of human memory and the subjective perception of time. It is no coincidence that the work condenses one of the most profound experiences of modern man - that time sometimes seems to stand still, and at other times it slips unnoticed through our fingers.

The female figures with drawers are symbolic representations of the subconscious: the drawers hidden in the body refer to Freud's psychoanalytic theories and symbolize the desires, secrets, and fears locked away within a person. “The human body is full of drawers in which his memories, instincts, and sins are hidden,” wrote Dalí.

For him, the female form embodies not only beauty and sensuality, but also the deep layers of the soul, where memories and instincts are hidden, waiting for us to “open” these drawers. According to Dalí, the task of art is precisely this: to reveal the drawers of the subconscious and to confront everything that we close off from the outside world in everyday life.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the surrealist jewelry collection exhibited in a separate room of the museum , which was designed by Dalí and uses gold and precious stones to create astonishing elements of the artist's visual world - for example, a beating ruby heart or a golden lip collage. These jewelry pieces are not only luxury items, but also miniature sculptures that ask the same questions as his paintings: what is beauty, what is desire, and where does the border of reality begin?

The Dalí Museum is not just a place to see paintings, but a total artistic experience, where every detail – from the ceiling painting to the oddities hidden in the floor – is part of one man’s vision. Here, every piece, whether famous or less well-known, opens a new window into surrealism.