Salvador Dalí’s bizarre, dreamlike universe has landed in Bruges – this time through an immersive digital experience at the historic Site Oud Sint-Jan. Powered by cutting-edge technology, including 260 projectors, interactive installations, and a virtual reality zone, Dalí Cybernetics invites visitors to step directly into the world of the Spanish surrealist icon.
The artist’s works have been brought to life through contemporary tools. No original paintings are on display, but rather a cascade of digital projections, AI-generated content, and multisensory effects designed to echo his obsessions with dreams, the subconscious, time, juxtaposition, and metamorphosis, themes central to the surrealist movement.
Although there is no record of Dalí ever visiting Bruges, his influence has long extended far beyond Spain. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, in 1904, Dalí lived in Spain, France and the US, where he was based during WWII. He died in 1989, leaving behind a vast body of work that made him globally famous.
His iconic imagery, including melting clocks, insect-legged elephants, burning giraffes and impossible landscapes, not to mention his flamboyant persona and distinctive moustache, established him as a defining figure of the Surrealist movement, which emerged in the 1920s as a reaction to the horrors of war and a rebellion against rationalism.
The exhibition begins in a vast projection room, where Dalí’s most famous visual motifs are brought to life on every surface. Paintings shift and ripple across the walls, ceiling and floor in 360°, accompanied by a surround soundscape that enhances the experience. Visitors are immersed in a dreamlike flow of familiar images, some drawn from real works and others reinterpreted.
The digital experience features a variety of Dalí’s signature themes and characters, including his long-legged elephants, melting watches, distorted faces, and barren plains. A notable highlight is a new piece created using artificial intelligence that has been trained on over 1,000 original artworks, designed to simulate how Dalí himself might have evolved in the digital age.
Visitors are not mere spectators. As they walk through the space, the interactive floor responds to their steps, creating the illusion that they are being pulled into the works themselves. In the ‘Sketch & Post’ zone, visitors can unleash their creativity by drawing their own surreal compositions, which are then displayed digitally on-site.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the show is the metaverse room, where visitors can use VR headsets to step inside the surreal digital world imagined by Dalí in his hallucinations – an experience that is sure to impress and be remembered forever. As they put on their headsets, they are transported to a virtual ship’s deck and guided through Dalí’s works.
Developed by Barcelona-based company Layers of Reality and supported by an investment of more than €750,000, Dalí Cybernetics is open daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at Site Oud Sint-Jan. Tickets can be purchased at dali-bruges.be.
While Dalí Cybernetics brings Dalí’s visions to life through cutting-edge digital tools, it does not feature any original artworks. Visitors eager to view authentic pieces can visit the Museum-Gallery Xpo in the Belfry, which offers a permanent exhibition of Dalí’s sculptures and graphic works, providing a more traditional, object-based encounter with the surrealist master.
