Event Summary

Hosted by the Taiwanese Association of Hispanists, this art forum titled "When Dalí and Dante Meet in Hell: The Divine Comedy in Surrealist Prints" explored the 100 woodcut prints created by the surrealist master Salvador Dalí to commemorate the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri's death. The forum was organized in conjunction with the "Dalí: Mind of a Genius" exhibition held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

Presentation Highlights

1. The Abandoned Exile Poet Meets the Rejected Genius Painter

Speaker: Ms. Maite Lin (Associate Professor, Department of Spanish, Tamkang University) Highlights:

• Origins of Creation: Explained the process of Dalí's commission by the Italian government in 1950 and the historical background of the prints' exhibition in Barcelona.
• Print Characteristics: Introduced Dalí's meticulous approach, requiring an average of 35 color plates per print to complete the series of 100.
• Artistic Comparison: Illustrated the correspondence in composition and lighting between Dalí's famous oil paintings (e.g., Soft Construction with Boiled Beans, Corpus Hypercubus) and the Divine Comedy prints.

2. A Surreal Encounter Between Dante and Dalí

Speaker: Dr. Luisa Chang (NTHU, President of the Association) Highlights:

• Literary and Artistic Roots: Explored how Dante's poetic structure and spiritual transformation intersected with Dalí's surrealism and his "paranoiac-critical method."
• Comparative Interpretations: Showcased interpretations of the Divine Comedy by historical artists (e.g., Botticelli, Blake, Doré), highlighting Dalí's unique surrealist approach.
• Curatorial Insights: Provided professional suggestions for exhibition guidance, emphasizing the need for better alignment between the prints and the specific cantos of Dante's text.

Event Information

• Time: March 11, 2022 (Fri) 20:00-21:30
• Location: Online (Zoom Meeting)
• Moderator: Mr. Mario Santander Oliván