Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum hosts Dalí and Freud exhibition

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid has opened ‘El universo freudiano de Dalí’ (Dalí’s Freudian Universe), a major retrospective exploring the profound connection between Salvador Dalí and the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud. The exhibition, which runs until January 24, 2027, features approximately 130 works, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and videos.

Curated by Jaime Brihuega, the exhibition is organized into six chronological sections. It examines how Dalí’s personal traumas—including the death of his mother, an authoritarian father, and complex family dynamics—served as a catalyst for his obsession with Freud’s writings. These influences helped shape Dalí’s ‘paranoiac-critical method,’ a technique used to translate subconscious desires and neuroses into visual imagery.

The collection includes significant loans from international institutions such as the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Reina Sofía, and the Freud Museum in London. The display highlights key biographical milestones, including Dalí’s time at the Residencia de Estudiantes and his 1938 meeting with Freud in London.