Discover da Vinci at The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, FL

January 12, 2015

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“Invention as Art” opens March 8, 2015

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA (January 13, 2015) – The Dalí Museum is proud to announce it will be adding the renowned genius of Leonardo da Vinci to its repertoire of special exhibits in March following “Picasso/Dali, Dali/Picasso.” The “Invention as Art” exhibit opens to the public at The Dalí on March 8, 2015 and runs through July 26, 2015.

The exhibit features more than 75 works, including da Vinci diagrams, Dalí manuscripts and paintings, and the invented objects both da Vinci and Dalí proposed in advance of their times.

“Dalí & da Vinci: Invention as Art” shows how these two major artists shared an ambition to use the tools of art to explore the whole of human experience, including math, anatomy, motion devices, religion, and visual perspective. They both imagined fantastical devices and inventions, some of which became reality, while others remained sealed in sketches and manuscripts. Visitors will explore five major thematic groupings that demonstrate Dali’s range of shared themes, interests, and ongoing dialogue with da Vinci: Youthful Scientific Dispositions, Freud’s Leonardo, Invention, Math and Masterworks.

“This exhibit will showcase two of the world’s most acclaimed human imaginations: da Vinci and Dali. They defined their eras and are still relevant today,” explained Dalí Museum Executive Director Dr. Hank Hine. “Four centuries following the Renaissance, which Leonardo exemplified, Salvador Dalí developed his own relationship with science and math and he looked to da Vinci for inspiration.”

Leonardo’s works incorporated linear perspective, and he used The Golden Section extensively. The principles were applied to several of his most famous works, including the Mona Lisa, The Last Supper and Vitruvian man. Inspired by the use of these principles, Dalí incorporated mathematical themes in several of his own renaissance-inspired surrealist works.

This will be the third successive high-profile exhibit in the new Dalí Museum building, immediately following “Picasso/Dali, Dali/Picasso”, which opened November 8, 2014 and is exceeding attendance expectations; and “Warhol: Art. Fame. Mortality.,” which ran in early 2014 and raised visitation year-over-year by more than 40%.

Dalí Museum Marketing Director Kathy Greif commented: “We are honored and delighted to maintain the momentum by sharing exhibits of this caliber with the community and visitors from around the globe.”

The Dalí Museum store will offer da Vinci-inspired merchandise throughout the exhibition. Also, on May 2-3rd, the Museum will host a hackathon (an event for software developers, designers and others to collaborate during a short window of time to develop new digital solutions). The Dalí’s hackathon will invite engineers and college/grad-students to create tools to enhance the Museum experience. More information on the hackathon will be released soon.

About The Dalí Museum
The Dalí Museum, located in the heart of beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to an unparalleled collection of Salvador Dalí art, featuring more than 2,000 works comprising nearly 100 oil paintings; over 100 watercolors and drawings; and 1,300 prints, photographs, sculptures and objects d’art.

The building is itself a work of art, featuring 1,062 triangular-shaped glass panels – the only structure of its kind in North America. Nicknamed The Enigma, it provides an unprecedented view of St. Petersburg’s picturesque waterfront. The Museum has attracted the world’s attention, and among the other distinguished awards it has received, it was listed by AOL Travel News as “one of the top buildings to see in your lifetime.”

The Dalí Museum is located at One Dalí Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. For additional information contact 727-823-3767 or visit TheDali.org.

Image for Media Use Only
Permission to reproduce this image is granted solely for use in conjunction with media reportage and review of “Dalí & da Vinci: Invention as Art.” All reproductions must be accompanied by the caption noted below. Permission to reproduce this image is contingent upon the press’s acknowledgement and acceptance of these terms.

Salvador Dalí -The Sacrament of the Last Supper-small

Salvador Dalí
The Sacrament of the Last Supper
(1955) Oil on canvas
166.7 x 267 cm
Dale Chester Collection 1963.10.115
© Salvador Dalí. Fundación Gala-Salvador Dalí, (Artist Rights Society), 2015
Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington