By Joe F. Bodenstein
By Joe F. Bodenstein
Dali with the Cross of Asturias, dedicated to the Crown Prince Felipe (left) and 'Homage a Pablo Picasso', lithograph d'apres un dessin (right)
Figueres/New York (bpb) The 100th birthday of Salvador Dali will be celebrated in 2004. On this occasion already now a "National Commission for Commemoration of the Centenary of Salvador Dali's Birth" was established in Spain. H.R.H. the King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia hold the Honorary Presidency.
The Dali Museum in Figueres and the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, USA are planning special exhibitions of the works of the internationally famous artist. Dali was born on May 11, 1904 in Figueres.
"Dali's art has friends around the world", says Consul B. John Zavrel, the publisher of the Internet Bulletin "Prometheus" for Art and Science. The celebrations will not be focused only on Spain and on Dali's Museum in the United States. "Many organizations and art galleries on all the continents will take this opportunity to honor Dali." This seems to be necessary, after all the criticism of the person Dali and the chaotic situation about the rights and copyrights after his death. "Dali must be newly discovered for the young generation", says Zavrel. "The goal of the old Dali aficionados is to keep the international popularity of the artist much higher than the popularity of Pablo Picasso."
H.M. the King Juan Carlos and H.M. the Queen Sophia support the Dali celebrations.
Photograph Copyright Dali-Archive/EKS
The proclamation for the celebrations of the Dali Year in Spain was signed by the Minister of Education, Culture and Sport, Pilar del Castillo. He stated: "It is a good idea to create a National Commission, in order to prepare a broad program of activities to commemorate the birth of this great Catalan artist".
The proclamation states that the Commission, reporting to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport, "will schedule, promote and coordinate the activities carried out by government departments, public and private bodies and individuals who take part in the celebration". The Chairman of the National Commission is Minister Pilar del Castillo. Members of the board are, beside various personalities from politics and art, the President of the Gala Salvador Dalí Foundation (Vice-Chairman) and representatives of major museums, foundations and cultural institutions (Museo Nacional del Prado, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Fundació "la Caixa", Salvador Dalí Museum, Palazzo Grassi, Tate Gallery, Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum, etc.).
The celebrations of the 'Year of Salvador Dali' "is not only a Spanish affair", Zavrel says. "Dali is a cosmopolitan artist, and his works belong to all of us." The Government of Spain and the organizers of the Dali Year are requested to provide information and support to organizers of Dali Events in Europe and USA.
Copyright 2002 West-Art, Prometheus 85/2002