Les Annes Folles: Experience Paris Like Dali
The turn of the 20th century saw an unparalleled outburst of artistic and intellectual activity in Paris. Located around the Montmartre and Montparnasse areas, the cafés and bars that lined the avenues hosted a collection of some of the brightest and enduringly influential minds of the 20th century. From painting and sculpture to literature and philosophy, modernists from around Europe and America gathered to exchange ideas, hopes and fears, more often than not over a few caraffes of table wine or a glass of Pernod. Cultivating new and stylistically unique artforms during an era of immense political and social upheaval, their legacy can be found all around Paris. And their belief- that life should be lived for art- continues to reside in those same cafés and bars, giving Paris the exciting cultural and artistic dynamism that is world renowned for.
Immediately after the First World War, Montparnasse became a community that encouraged artistic creativity in all forms, with often destitute artists from all arond the world sharing an experience of relative poverty but also individual and creative freedom. Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, Jean Rhys, Ford Madox Ford, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Andre Breton, Samuel Beckett and Joan Miro were just some of the artists who made Montparnasse their home. They helped it to become an enclave that fostered the expansion of modernism into variant forms such as Cubism, Dadaism and Surrealism; the later finding its greatest expression in the experimental and innovative works of Catalan legend Salvador Dali.
Though obvious Paris attractions such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe would be on anyone’s ‘to do’ list, the Espace Dali in Montmartre offers the perfect way to re-live the exciting atmosphere of early 20th century Paris. This unique and permanent exhibition is dedicated to the work of Salvador Dali, and focuses particularly on his sculptures and engravings.
Whilst the city is renowned all over the world for its art collections, this exhibition provides something different and is one of the Paris museums for the more discerning visitor. The Louvre might provide a sense of grandeur and history, but a visit to the Espace Dali, followed by a stroll through the Montparnasse, will provide a much greater sense of the formidable achievements of the cultural world of Paris. One of the truly great Bohemias of the modern world, the rich and diverse artforms pursued in these quarters shaped everything we see today, from fashion and advertising to comedy and film.
