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India is set to experience the eccentric genius of Salvador Dalí like never before. For the first time, more than 200 of the Spanish surrealist's original sketches, etchings, and watercolors are being exhibited in New Delhi, offering Indian audiences a glimpse into Dalí's dreamlike, mind-bending world.
Curated by Christine Argillet, daughter of French collector Pierre Argillet, the exhibition sheds light on Dalí's fascination with India—despite the fact that he never visited the country. "Dalí was deeply interested in Indian mysticism, particularly during the 1960s and '70s, when the West was obsessed with spiritual enlightenment," Argillet told the BBC.
Some of Dalí's works in the exhibition are inspired by photographs taken by Pierre Argillet during a trip to India. The pieces feature Dalí's signature surrealist touch—elephants with impossibly long legs, floating temples, and human figures morphing into abstract shapes. Argillet describes his art as an "onion with infinite layers," where new meanings emerge the longer one looks.
Interestingly, Dalí's connection to India isn't entirely abstract. In 1967, Air India commissioned the artist to design a set of ashtrays for its first-class passengers. True to his flamboyant nature, Dalí didn't ask for money—he demanded a baby elephant instead. The airline obliged, flying the animal from Bengaluru to Spain, where it lived in a zoo until its passing in 2018.
Dalí's love for the absurd extended beyond his art. He was known for his theatrical antics, such as walking lobsters on leashes, throwing candy bombs at unsuspecting fishermen, and keeping an ashtray-carrying tortoise at his parties. However, behind the flamboyance was a deeply introspective artist fascinated by the unconscious mind. Inspired by Sigmund Freud, Dalí saw dreams as the gateway to hidden desires and fears—an idea that shaped much of his surrealist work.
The Dalí Comes to India exhibition will run at the India Habitat Centre from February 7 to 13 and at Masarrat Gallery from February 15 to March 16. For art lovers and surrealism enthusiasts, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to step into the world of one of history's most enigmatic artists.
