The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation and La Roca Village present 'The Awakening of the Myth: Gala Dalí'

The Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation and La Roca Village have presented The Awakening of the Myth: Gala Dalí , a year-long exhibition project that explores Gala's enigmatic personality through the lens of her fashion collection. Open to the public since March 19, the exhibition redefines the legacy of Gala, with the contributions of the illustrator Carla Fuentes and the photographer Jordi Bernadó , among others.

Curated by Bea Crespo , coordinator of the Center for Dalinian Studies, and by Noelia Collado , Director of Content at La Roca Village, with the artistic direction of Montse Aguer , director of the Dalí Museums, the exhibition takes place in three fashion seasons: the first – entitled Spring-Summer Collection – is shown at Castell de Gala in Púbol, followed by the second Haute Couture season in June and the Autumn-Winter Collection in October.

The Spring-Summer Collection presents eight outfits that Gala wore and that were created by illustrious designers such as Givenchy , Pierre Cardin and Christian Dior. These outfits show Gala's chameleon personality and how, through fashion, she artistically manipulated her identity, choosing the image she wanted to convey. The exhibition includes a dress with a print designed by Dalí, which recalls the trompe-l'oeil effects of Púbol Castle and references the Dress of Tears, a collaboration between Dalí and Elsa Schiaparelli from 1938.

Conjunt que havia pertangut a Gala, format per una brusa i una faldilla llarga de lamé amb estampat de caixmir. Christian Dior Boutique, c. 1971.

When you decide to display pieces of clothing, you must take into account their conservation. The textile is a very fragile material and its state of preservation varies depending on its nature, quality and the use made by the person who wore it. All the dresses presented in this exhibition have been restored by the specialists in textile materials Carme Masdeu and Mari Luz Morata, under the coordination of Elisenda Aragonès, conservator-restorer of the Dalí Foundation. They are the ones who have carried out the task of mannequinage, that is to say, those techniques and precautions that make it possible to give volume to a piece on a mannequin, while respecting its era and style, as well as contemporary museum standards. In terms of restoration work, some pieces have required the consolidation of damaged parts with silk supports and stitches made with restoration stitches. Protective covers of natural cotton have been made and hangers have been adapted for each dress.

A shared history of art, fashion and creativity

This joint project, which aims to shed new light on the identity of Gala, will be developed simultaneously in both destinations as an expression of the commitment to share culture, art and fashion in Catalonia. Bridging past and present, the exhibition program will revive Gala's identity through the lens of its fashion archive, but also through the lens of contemporary creators. From Gala's legacy to a completely modern look. The journey of discovery begins at Castell de Púbol – home of his fashion collection.

And it takes us through the Dalinian Triangle to La Roca Village, transformed into an outdoor canvas dedicated to creativity in which a new, unexpected portrait of the muse will be shown. Jordi Bernadó takes us to Púbol following the footsteps of the invisible woman and her clothing collection, awakening the myth in a large-format art installation that links the viewer's gaze with that of the absent myth. And Gala's untamed and enigmatic personality comes to life in the great facades of illustrator Carla Fuentes, who reimagines the legend as a modern and influential creative force. This project is part of a wider initiative that will allow us to rediscover Gala and its profound influence on fashion, culture and society – paying tribute to the artistic scene of Catalonia.

Vestit jaqueta a joc amb estampat trompe-l’oeil per Salvador Dalí, c. 1948

The collaboration will publicize contemporary art initiatives and attract international visitors to both La Roca Village and the Dalí Foundation Museums. By integrating art into broader experiences, the two destinations will create cultural experiences that resonate with visitors and deepen their appreciation for creativity and innovation. The goal of both is to inspire new generations and encourage them to explore the limitless possibilities of artistic expression.

Relegated to stereotype by a society permeated with misogynistic discourse and reluctant to recognize its influence, Gala Dalí lived in the shadows. She was the invisible force behind the genius and often the only woman in a circle of men. Max Ernst's 1922 work Au Rendez-vous des Amis, a portrait of the Surrealist group, reflects this question. She existed on canvas and paper, mainly, and in the poems of Paul Éluard, the works of Salvador Dalí, and through the lens of photographers such as Man Ray, Brassaï, Cecil Beaton and Horst P. Horst. His identity was essentially constructed through others – was it by choice or by necessity, yoke or disguise?

Now, 130 years after her birth in Kazan, Russia, it's time to put the spotlight on her. And to do it with a new discourse sewn through the fabric of fashion, where haute couture pieces from Christian Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli will share the stage with Givenchy and Oleg Cassini, as well as unnamed clothing pieces that will remind us that the Gala's image transcends labels. These pieces reflect a unique and unfettered personality of someone who, above all else, stayed true to herself.