The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, launches an extraordinary virtual art project. Starting from April, visitors of the institution will have the opportunity to learn more about the life and work of the great surrealist artist from the person who knew him better than anyone – from Salvador Dali himself.

A new virtual art project titled “Dali Lives” “resurrects” the famous painter of surrealist landscapes with the help of the artificial intelligence technologies (AI). The image of the renowned Spanish artist will communicate with the audience from several screens throughout the art exhibition space.

Photo credit: The Salvador Dali Museum/salvadordalimuseum.org

“Dali Lives” virtual project is timed to the 30^th anniversary of the death of Salvador Dali, which falls at the year 2019.

To justify such an ethically ambiguous step, Executive Director of the Salvador Dali Museum Hank Hine quotes the master himself: “If someday I may die, though it is unlikely, I hope the people in the cafes will say, ‘Dali has died, but not entirely.” “In addition to our unparalleled collection of artworks, this technology will allow visitors to get to know his vast personality better,” adds Hine.

The creation of “Dali Lives” virtual art project involved the advertising agency “Goodby Silverstein & Partners” (GS&P) from San Francisco. The algorithm of the artificial intelligence technologies was “trained” with the use of hundreds of interviews, quotes and archival materials collected by the museum. Moreover, the AI machine also mastered the facial expressions of the legendary artist. Then an actor who looked like Dali was invited, and following the face and manners of this person, artificial intelligence generated the image of the famous surrealist artist. Visitors of the Salvador Dali Museum will hear both authentic quotes of Dali performed by the actor and remarks related to the relevant issues.

Photo credit: The Salvador Dali Museum/salvadordalimuseum.org

It is not the first time the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg cooperates with GS&P. Within the framework of the art exhibition in 2014, was created an art project called “Gala Contemplating You.” Back then, selfies of the museum visitors turned into projected full-scale copies of the monumental painting created in 1976 – “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea Which at Twenty Meters Becomes the Portrait of Abraham Lincoln. Homage to Rothko.”

Two years later, the virtual art project titled “Dreams of Dali” was presented. It takes the audience into the thought-provoking surrealist painting “Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet’s “Angelus.” Today, this impressive Salvador Dali’s art piece is a part of the permanent exhibition of the museum.