Urinal and the caption “This is not art. Rewriting the rules.”

Dalí/Duchamp

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February 10, 2018 – May 27, 2018

This special exhibition invites you to examine the relationship between Salvador Dalí and the father of conceptual art, Marcel Duchamp. The first exhibit dedicated to their friendship and its influence on the work of both artists, Dali/Duchamp explores the common ground, both personal and aesthetic, shared by these two modern icons.

On the surface, these two great 20th-century artists could hardly be more dissimilar, but Dalí and Duchamp maintained a lasting bond of friendship and mutual admiration throughout their careers. What fueled this seemingly unlikely friendship was deeper than their shared artistic interests – among them eroticism, language, optics and games. More fundamentally, the two men were united by a combination of humor and skepticism, which led both, in different ways, to challenge conventional views of art and life.

This original exhibition brings together around 60 works, including some of Dalí’s most inspired and technically accomplished paintings and sculptures, and Duchamp’s ground breaking assemblages and ready-mades. But it will also showcase the less familiar: photographs by Dalí, paintings by Duchamp, correspondence and collaborations between the two artists. Presented as a conversation taking place through art, this focused exploration offers fresh ways of looking at two figures, radically revising their familiar places in art history. Through the lens of their intriguing friendship, visitors will gain a new perspective on two equally inventive, intelligent and irreverent minds.

This exhibition contains challenging images, including adult content. No photos, video or recording.

Exhibition organized by The Dalí Museum, St Petersburg, FL and the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in collaboration with the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation and the Association Marcel Duchamp. Exhibition curated by Dawn Ades and William Jeffett, with Sarah Lea.

Thank you to the Trustees of the Dalí Museum, the Guild at The Dalí, Dalí Museum members and our exhibition sponsors, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and the Don CeSar, and in-kind sponsor WUSF.