The Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation and Bitò Productions presented a performing arts celebration in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Museum in Figueres. From 5 August, some confusing things are anticipated every week at the Theatre Museum, as Salvador Dalí referred to his museum as a place in a constant state of boiling. For him, the surprise factor and randomness are unpredictable elements that play an active role in the creative process. We talked to Felix Roca, CEO of the Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation, about these cultural events and the role of Salvador Dali in contemporary art.
Interview: Irina Rybalchenko
How exactly do you plan to surprise your visitors?
Three anniversaries coincide this year: the 120th anniversary of Dali’s birth, the 130th anniversary of Gala’s birth and the 50th anniversary of the Theatre-Museum Dalí (on the 28th of September). My team and I have taken it upon ourselves to organise night events to relaunch the so-called “night offer” that was Dalí’s inspiration. He himself came up with the concept of a nighttime theatre culmination to his works with music and lighting for a mysterious ambiance.
The Theatre-Museum Dalí is the place where Dalí held his first exhibition, it is an old city theatre on whose ruins the artist built his museum. To liven up the opening night, we thought of bringing into the museum the performing arts, specifically the three disciplines: theatre, music and dance. It is a very ambitious programme that aims to surprise the visitor.
There are 12 artists participating in three blocks, with performances between 10 am to 12 pm in different rooms of the Theatre-Museum Dalí.
For the third summer in a row, we are holding open-air film performances. We show films related to Dalí and surrealism, contextualised by experts in the field. This free activity revives an idea that was set in motion by Dalí’s friends at the end of the 1970s.
In 2019, before the pandemic, the Museum’s nights worked very well. One of the most notable groups of visitors were Russians. The audience from Russia is very exacting and intelligent, and culturally connected to Gala due to her origins.
In 2019, more than one million people visited the Dali Triangle compared to 952,000 in 2023. We try to get closer to the 2019 figures. So we have to provide new content that provokes interest from a wide variety of audiences.
What place, in your opinion, does the figure of Salvador Dali have in contemporary art?
Painting is only a small part of Salvador Dali’s facet as an artist. Personally, I see him as a humanist – a man who has expressed himself through such diverse languages as painting, sculpture, performance art, writing, jewellery design, and so on.
I can affirm that this was a man ahead of his time. Even in his relationships with Gala, they were based on mutual respect and freedom.
You have been the CEO of the Dali Foundation since 2020. How has the foundation changed in that time?
I joined the Dali Foundation in mid-2020, at the height of the pandemic. It was a difficult challenge. Closing the doors of three museums had a significant impact on our finances. We needed new solutions at different levels. So we began an internal reorganization of the Foundation and a review of all processes.
We have received support from the Diputació de Girona, the Townhall of Figueres, Generalitat de Catalunya and the Ministry of Culture of Spain, but in small amounts when you consider our running costs.
I should say that several factors played in our favor. Firstly, I believe that culture is fundamental to the economy. Secondly, Dali is a very good brand. And finally, I met a team that was very motivated and passionate about Dali. All these aspects were key, they added up to long hours of hard work and dedication in developing the new project, modernizing management and diversifying revenues. We had two very clear goals: to maintain financial independence and to keep the collection and equipment in optimal condition.
Do you run any educational programmes in schools or universities?
We have an education programme that supports children in Kindergarten through high school. We provide training for teachers and offer resources for the classroom. It should be noted that 30% of our visitors are young people. Another of our goals is to access the so-called “lost generation” of young people between the ages of 16 and 30, users of networks and artificial intelligence.
Is it possible to combine the art of Salvador Dali with AI?
Dali would have made the maximum benefit from AI. At the Foundation, we believe in and rely on artificial intelligence as a tool to help us promote and explain Dalí beyond his museums.
Who funds the foundation?
It is vital for us to be financially independent. 85% of our income comes from our activities: 70% from tickets and 15% from shops. The rest comes from the rights to the artworks.
We are a self-financing organisation and have had good results, especially at the end of last year. This has also been made possible through physical and immersive exhibitions all over the world with a very good reception.
This financial independence allows us to be autonomous in our decision making. We invest all profits in culture to promote Dalí’s personality and heritage, as established by Article 4 of our statutes.
The Foundation has eight million euros to realise cultural projects. This is a budget earmarked for culture and, in particular, this year it will also be used to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Figueres Museum.
Apart from culture, is the Foundation involved in scientific activities?
The Foundation has a centre that is dedicated to researching Dali’s work. In recent years, we have focused more intensively on Gala in order to put her at the forefront. There is currently a fantastic exhibition of couture dresses owned by Gala at Castel de Pubol. This project is in collaboration with La Roca Village.
As an example of a scientific partnersship we have is with the Art Institute of Chicago to deepen the study of the works based on image technology – specifically, the necessary resources to categorise and preserve the works in a good and sustainable way. Given the heterogeneity of the materials that Dali used, we rely upon the collaboration of outside specialists.
An example of the application of AI was the reproduction of Gala’s formal dresses in 3D. The visualisation is possible in 360 degrees – both on the corporate website and on mobile phones – thanks to the app. Another project we are starting is 3D scanning of the museum’s spaces, which will allow them to be studied, preserved, and, at some point, incorporated into the historical archive.
And finally, what the Foundation’s plans are for the future?
Essentially, we must maintain two things: to remain financially independent in order to carry out projects that give meaning to the Maestro’s fundamental will. Secondly, pursue opportunities offered by the recent acquisition of the building next to the Theatre Museum, the Giralt Ventolà house of 2,100 square metres.
In the coming years, we also intend to continue investing in digital transformation for the benefit of cultural heritage preservation.