Salvador Dalí sculpture to go on public display in Vancouver

Apr 1 2017, 3:03 am

An original sculpture by infamous surrealist Salvador Dalí is going on public display in Vancouver, the first time it will ever be displayed in Canada.

The bronze sculpture of a melting clock, called Dance of Time I, will be unveiled at West Hastings and Hornby Street on May 6 at 2 pm.

The seven-foot-tall sculpture, valued at $750,000, will stay on public display until September, in an open environment for all to enjoy.

The artwork is being temporarily gifted to the City of Vancouver by the local Chali-Rosso Art Gallery, Vancouver’s largest private gallery of European Modern Master collections.

In a release, Susanna Strem, owner and curator of the gallery, said she was thrilled to be able to bring one of Dalí’s most theatrical sculptures to Vancouver.

“We felt that this would be a great year to bring this unique ‘timepiece’ sculpture to Canada in celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary,” said Strem.

“Over the past 150 years, Canada has been influenced by artists from around the world, and Canada continues to embrace the multitude of creative forms from all cultures. I feel honoured to be able to share this time-depicting sculpture with Canadians.”

Definitely Dalí

While the gallery is organizing the Vancouver display, the Dalí sculpture is on loan to them from The Stratton Institute, the world’s largest collection of Dalí’s monumental sculptures.

The public display is part of a project titled Definitely Dalí, which will collect public donations and a portion of gallery sales for the Arts Umbrella‘s youth education centre.

In return, the gallery is displaying 100 extra original Dalí artworks at their Howe Street location, including 20 gallery size sculptures.

Dalí was born in Spain in 1904 and is best known for the bizarre images in his artwork, with his best known work being The Persistence of Memory painting of melting clocks in 1938.

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí (Salvador Dalí, Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation/Artists Rights Society)

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí (Salvador Dalí, Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation/Artists Rights Society)

An eccentric character throughout his life, Dalí conceived the Dance of Time I sculpture in 1979, and the first cast was created in 1984, only five years before he died.

The sculpture shows Dalí’s relationship with time, and the importance he believed to be inherent in memory.

Jenni SheppardJenni Sheppard

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