Masterpieces from across the Atlantic illuminate imagination and perception through painting, sculpture and a shared surreal garden experience
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Opening Nov. 15, 2025, and on view through Apr. 19, 2026, Alberto Giacometti & Salvador Dalí: Through & Beyond Surrealism marks the first United States exhibition to present these two visionary artists in direct conversation. The exhibition—co-curated by Dr. William Jeffett, Senior Curator of The Dalí Museum, and Dr. Émilie Bouvard, Director of Collections and Scientific Program at the Fondation Giacometti—offers a rare opportunity to see these two modern masters side by side, revealing their shared exploration of perception and form
“Dalí and Giacometti each sought to locate the self beyond the self, to sculpt and paint not what was seen, but what was felt and imagined,” said Dr. Hank Hine, Director of The Dalí Museum. “Together, they expanded Surrealism into a space where the boundaries between dream and reality dissolve, inviting us to perceive the world as something endlessly mutable, alive and deeply human.”
Bringing together more than 70 paintings, sculptures and archival materials from both Fondation Giacometti and The Dalí displayed in parallel, Through & Beyond Surrealism invites comparison and connection. The exhibition traces the friendship, collaboration and kindred experimentation of Salvador Dalí and Alberto Giacometti, who together helped define Surrealism as a visual art. Though markedly different in style—Dalí primarily a painter, Giacometti, a sculptor—their artistic paths intertwined deeply as both artists engaged with psychoanalytic theory, collaborated on designs for a surrealist “dream garden” and pioneered the new medium of the “surrealist object,” a radical reconsideration of form and meaning.
Exhibition Highlights
- Evolution of Two Icons: Works from the 1920s through the 1960s trace each artist’s evolution through Surrealism and beyond, featuring key paintings and sculptures that explore desire, perception and the human condition.
- Dialogues in Form: Rare drawings, sketchbook pages and models reveal Dalí and Giacometti’s collaborative vision for a “dream garden,” a surreal environment that fused sculpture, landscape and imagination. From Giacometti’s ethereal figures to Dalí’s metamorphic dreamscapes and objects, the exhibition places the two artists’ practices in visual dialogue, highlighting their shared fascination with the boundaries between reality and the subconscious.
- Digital Experience – The Endless Garden: A new immersive installation developed in partnership with HYZ Studios invites visitors to co-create a living, digital dream garden inspired by Dalí and Giacometti’s unrealized project. Using mobile devices, guests answer prompts to generate 3D objects that merge into a continuously evolving projected landscape.
Alberto Giacometti & Salvador Dalí: Through & Beyond Surrealism is presented by The Dalí Museum and the Fondation Giacometti, Paris, curated by Dr. Emilie Bouvard, Scientific Director of the Fondation Giacometti, and Dr. William Jeffett, Senior Curator of The Dalí Museum. The exhibition is supported by sponsors Ingrid & Jake Jacobus and Sandy Taraszki & David Zuern, Airport Partner: St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and City of St. Petersburg Funding for the Arts Grant.
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About The Dalí Museum
The Dalí Museum, located in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., is home to a preeminent collection of the artist’s works, with over 2,400 works representing every period and medium of Salvador Dalí’s creative life. The Dalí is recognized internationally by the Michelin Guide with its highest three-star rating; has been named one of seven museums globally that showcase the future by CNN Travel; named one of the 10 most interesting museums in the world by Architectural Digest; and celebrated in 2025 by readers of USAToday as one of the top ten art museums in America. The Dalí Museum’s acclaimed digital experiences have received numerous national and international awards for creative innovation. The Museum is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to preserve Dalí’s legacy for generations to come and serve as an active resource in the cultural life of the community and the world at large. Open daily at One Dalí Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33701, The Dalí welcomes all as unique individuals and is committed to making its collection, exhibitions, building and programs accessible. For more information, visit TheDali.org or explore Bloomberg Connects for The Dalí Museum’s free mobile guide.
About The Fondation Giacometti
Created in December 2003, the Fondation Giacometti, Paris is a private institution and a state-recognized non-profit organization whose purpose is the preservation, dissemination, and promotion of Alberto Giacometti’s oeuvre. As the sole legatee of Annette Giacometti, the artist’s widow, the Fondation holds the largest collection of works by Alberto Giacometti in the world. It comprises nearly 10,000 works, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, and prints, as well as a remarkable collection of archival materials such as photographs, documents, and correspondence by the artist. The Fondation also preserves the artist’s manuscripts and notebooks, copper plates, and most of his personal library: magazines, books, exhibition catalogues, and newspapers, some of which he annotated or drew on. The Fondation Giacometti is dedicated to conserving, enriching, and sharing this collection. Directed by Catherine Grenier, the Fondation Giacometti promotes Alberto Giacometti’s oeuvre on an international level. Its activities include: presenting Alberto Giacometti’s oeuvre to the public through the organization of monographic and thematic exhibitions in French museums and abroad, establishing a catalogue of the artist’s authenticated works, organizing and participating in various cultural events, and contributing to research on Alberto Giacometti’s oeuvre through publication projects. The Fondation organizes the authentication committee for the artist’s works and handles the protection of his oeuvre in France and abroad. The Fondation Giacometti is currently working toward opening the Alberto Giacometti Museum & School on the Esplanade des Invalides in the heart of Paris. Until then, its exhibition, pedagogical, and research programs take place at the Giacometti Institute, located at 5 rue Victor Schoelcher (Paris 14), which opened in 2018.
Media Contacts
For more information, please contact:
The Dalí Museum
Dali@LouHammond.com