Who really was Gala? Who was this enigmatic woman who never went unnoticed and who raised contradictory feelings between the artists and poets of the time? Was she a muse or a creator? Never before to this day has such a large and detailed exhibition been focused on this visionary figure with the new exhibition Gala Salvador Dalí in Barcelona.
The National Museu d’Art de Catalunya and the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí have set a challenge with this event: to unveil Gala, muse, artist and a key figure in twentieth century art. Curated by Estrella de Diego, professor of Art History (UCM), the exhibition explores the life of Gala, companion of Salvador Dalí and before that of the poet Paul Éluard. Sometimes admired, sometimes forgotten or even insulted, Gala is undoubtedly a key character of the avant-garde.
A long journey
Gala (September 7, 1894 – June 10, 1982), was born into a family of intellectuals from Kazan (Russia), and spent her childhood in Moscow. She settled in Switzerland, where she met Paul Éluard, with whom she moved to Paris, where she contacted members of the Surrealist movement, such as Max Ernst.
In 1929 she travelled to Cadaqués, where he met and fell in love with Dalí and they decided to start a life together. For eight years they were in exile in the United States, and on their return they commuted between Portlligat, New York and Paris. Gala was indeed known worldwide as the woman of Salvador Dalí, his muse and the protagonist of some of his paintings. From this point followed the transformation of Gala into an artist in her own right, since the couple opted for an artistic cooperation which meant the shared authorship of some works.
Admired at times, sometimes forgotten or even insulted, Gala is a key figure of the avant-garde.
A key figure
Without Gala the surreal game board would appear incomplete. The paintings of Max Ernst, the photographs of Man Ray and Cecil Beaton and especially the works of Salvador Dalí are much more than portraits: they make up an autobiographical journey in which, as a postmodern heroine, Gala imagined and created her image.
For this reason the show will discover a Gala who is camouflaged as a muse while building her own path as an artist. It is also undeniable that to follow the evolution of Salvador Dalí as a painter she was essential in the artistic development of the Empordà painter. In this sense the exhibition gathers together a very important set of his works, some 60 in total, between oils and drawings. There is also a selection of paintings, drawings and photographs by other artists who gravitated in the surrealist universe with Max Ernst, Picasso, Man Ray and Cecil Beaton or BrassaÏ. Exhibited for the first time too is an interesting set of letters, postcards and books, as well as clothes and personal items from Gala’s toiletries.
As a postmodern heroine, Gala imagined and created her image.
In total, the exhibition brings together some 180 works that allow the reconstruction of the complex and fascinating figure of Gala. The works in the exhibition come mainly from the Dalí Foundation, but there are also objects from private collections and international museums in the United States, Germany, France and Italy, among others.
The Gala Salvador Dalí exhibition will remain open to the public until October 14.
Source: Photos provided by the National Art Museum of Catalonia and the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation
