EXHIBITION
Branding Dalí: Exhibit opens in Naples
Long before personal branding, there was Salvador Dalì. The Spanish artist, known for his surrealist paintings and prints, also curated his own iconic persona. With pieces and works rarely seen by the public, the recently opened Branding Dalí. The construction of a myth exhibit examines Salvador Dalì the artist and self-branding genius.
More than 150 works, from the collections of the French company Mix’s Art will be on display. These rare pieces include the 100 wood engravings of the Divine Comedy that took Dalì 14 years to complete. But it’s the pieces with his own iconic image or signature, such as a series of plates, playing cards and other lesser known items, that the exposes his talent for self-promotion or the ‘Dalinization’ of his art. Curator Alice Devecchi expounds on this:
“…Dalì constructs his image on eccentric, meticulously studied traits, consistent with the vertiginous and provocative fantasies that populate his works. Wanting to use a current language we can say that Dalì plans a marketing strategy to maximize the profits of his artistic activity. He does this by transforming his style…into an unmistakable brand. And by submitting his image personal branding ante litteram, before the term existed.”
Running through February 2, 2020, the exhibit is hosted at the historic Palazzo Fondi located in the center of Naples. Now wheelchair accessible and equipped with air conditioning, the Palazzo Fondi is a perfect location to give visitors access to this unexplored facet of Salvador Dalì.
Jennie Olson Six
Content Writer, Cultural Italy
