Dali Universe
Dali Universe
County Hall Gallery, Riverside Building,
County Hall, London SE1 7PB.
Tel: 020 7930 6961
About Dali Universe
Dali Universe is located in the impressive County Hall Gallery on London’s South Bank, with a superb riverfront view of the Palace Of Westminster, nestling next to the London Eye. The former Greater London Council building now houses a world-class family attraction of a quite stupendous mind-stretching scope. Focusing on the work of Catalonian surrealist artist and self-publicist Salvador Dali, the Hall boasts three major gallery spaces, with Dali Universe its heart and flamboyant permanent core.
Offering a superb family day out, the labyrinthine of galleries of Dali Universe cover a 3000 square metre (32,000 square feet) area containing over 600 works of art by the moustachioed, fantastical artistic genius, including examples of his graphics, jewellery, furniture, glass, drawings and over 100 watercolours. What’s more, Dali Universe even outdoes the St. Petersburg gallery in Florida by having the world's most complete display of anthropomorphic Dalí sculptures, notably the classic bronzes of the 1930s.
The Dali Universe entrance lobby features biographical information about the great man and his works between the 1910s and his permanent departure to surreality in 1989. Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquis of Púbol, was one of the leading artists of the 20th century and an inspirational figure across a host of media. Dali Universe places his contribution in the context of the overall growth of modern art through the likes of pivotal works like The Persistence of Memory, Les bruixes de Llers, Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus), Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening, La Gare de Perpignan, The Great Masturbator, The Metamorphosis of Narcissus and Hallucinogenic Toreador, as well as his collaboration with Walt Disney on the Academy Award-nominated short cartoon, Destino, released posthumously in 2003, and his Alfred Hitchcock collaboration on Spellbound, which features at Dali Universe, as does his Mae West sofa.
The exhibits at Dali Universe are displayed in a sequence of spot-lighted, black-painted spaces. Curated by Beniamino Levi, who worked with Dalí on the development of his sculptures, a ticket to Dali Universe allows the visitor to traverse three stunning thematic zones, with works dating from the 1960s to 1980s to the fore, and covering 1935-84.
Sensuality And Femininity includes the famous and much-photographed crimson satin Mae West Lips Sofa, the Buste De Femme Retrospectif, and portfolios of graphics illustrating classic literary themes, including 10 lithographs from the Romeo And Juliet series, a dozen erotic images of the lover Casanova, and 15 engravings from the Ovid-inspired The Art Of Love.
Religion And Mythology are not the focus of your average family attraction, but Dali’s St. George and the Dragon and illustrations of The Bible and Dante's Divine Comedy are mind-boggling. They rest beside over 100 graphics and make for a heavenly experience!
Finally, Dreams And Fantasy includes sculptures such as Persistence Of Memory and Profile Of Time, their surreal versions of reality matched by Life Is A Dream and that cue for many a fun family day out, Alice In Wonderland.
Among the Dali Universe highlights on view for ticket holders all year round are 124 drawings that he produced for his 1942 autobiography, La Vie Secrete (The Secret Life); his monumental canvas painting undertaken for Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound movie; the Lobster Telephone; and the 20-foot long-legged Space Elephant and dripping watch Nobility Of Time, which are situated on the riverside walkway outside the impressive Hall. What other family attraction could stop traffic in its tracks?
Since its opening in 2000, Dalí Universe has provided a riveting family day out to over 250,000 visitors a year, with a ticket also providing to the opportunity to buy over 300 works of art by Dali, Picasso and Marc Chagall, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Few family attractions offer such a memento of a grand family day out – just the ticket for all budding art critics!
Indeed, school groups are provided with Dalí Universe educational materials and worksheets, and every ticket holder can learn a huge amount simply taking in the breathtaking work on view, making for an informative as well as thrilling family day out. Tours and talks are available to deepen visitors’ knowledge of Dali’s world – indeed, the Dali Universe -and explain the key themes and symbolism in his work. Ticket holders to Dalí Universe can also pre-book a children's audio-guide, featuring an interactive quiz, for a fun day out with added value.
The on-site Shop also features many posters, prints, postcards, desk toys, accessories, T-Shirts, and books, including Levi’s Dalí Universe Exhibition Catalogue, and La Divine Comédie: Illustrations de Dalí.
The wonderfully atmospheric Dali Universe is additionally available for corporate events, cocktail parties, catwalk shows and fine art sales consultancies via Dalí Events, and these feature LCD projectors, lighting and a sound system. But the exhibits of Dalí Universe speak for themselves, offering a glimpse into another world that just can’t be found at any other family attraction. A family day out to Dali Universe is truly memorable, and for those who are converted to Dali’s visionary otherworld, for a limited time, there is free access to ticket holders to the Modern Masters Rooms of the County Hall.
The self-contained lower-level beneath Dali Universe – often used for screenings, seminars, dinners and as a dance-floor in the evening – has a White Space of three interlinking spaces with original art on the walls. Foremost among the works here are those of Pablo Picasso, the exclusive collection of over 100 works by the Spanish cubist master making a visit to Dali Universe an even more unforgettable family day out.
The Picasso exhibits include masterful ceramics, tapestries, lithographs, etchings and photos, including Un Eventail, Helene Chez Archimede, Les Bleus de Barcelona and Dans L'Atelier de Picasso, as well as a standout series of pots, vases and vessels produced by the great man.
Further, an exclusive ongoing exhibition of work by surrealist Nasser Azam includes over 100 Azam paintings and sculptures.
Dali Universe is heritage-listed and so wheelchair and ramp access to County Hall is restricted, but access to the gallery is available via the South Bank near the County Hall Gallery and there is a courtesy wheelchair available for loan on arrival at the gallery. Disabled toilets and audio loop guides are also on hand and so, with its disabled access and facilities, Dali Universe is an ideal destination for everyone, adding up to a variegated family day out that stands out as a unique family attraction.