Ephemeral documents

The Centre for Dalinian Studies holds an important collection of more than 7,815 graphic documents of various types (posters, exhibition catalogues, invitations, programs, flyers…), aimed at promoting events and artistic manifestations related to the figure and work of Salvador Dalí, Surrealism, and other prominent 20th-century movements.

The documentary and artistic value of this collection lies both in the content of the materials and in their format. On one hand, the study of the content provides very valuable information about the exhibition history of Dalí’s work—especially regarding his early period—allows for tracking the conferences and artistic events in which Dalí participated, and refers us to various statements and manifestos published by the artist himself at different moments in his life.

On the other hand, the study of the format allows us to perceive, once again, the artist’s deep involvement in the artistic projects he undertook. We often see how Dalí intervened in the conception and design process of ephemeral materials produced for exhibitions or events, which gives these documents added artistic value.