The Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida celebrates the life and work of Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) and features works from the artist’s entire career. Founded with the works collected by A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, the Museum has made significant additions to its collection over the years, sharing the legacy of one of the most influential and innovative artists in history.
In December of 2022, The Dalí launched an exhibition, The Shape of Dreams, which explored 500 years of dream-inspired paintings, from the Renaissance to Surrealism. The Museum wondered: How could we bring visitors even closer to these artistic styles and offer them a unique way to visualize their own dreams? Our solution: The Dream Tapestry.
The Dream Tapestry is a first-of-its-kind interactive experience that enabled visitors to transform their dreams into art. We collaborated with Goodby, Silverstein and Partners (GSP) and OpenAI to bring their text-to-image AI platform - DALL·E - to The Dalí, allowing Museum visitors an opportunity to create original, realistic dream paintings from a text description.
Taking the experience deeper, the Museum employed AI to weave these individual dream artworks into a collective image, creating a dynamic tapestry every few minutes. This process not only provided an immersive experience, enabling visitors to explore the collective subconscious realm of dreams, but also presented a unique blend of individual and shared human experiences through art.
This initiative reflects four key achievements: technological innovation, educational engagement, community building and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional art exhibitions. By inviting participation and blending individual dreams into a collective artwork, The Dalí Museum not only pays homage to Dalí's surrealistic exploration of dreams but also fosters a deeper connection between the audience and the art. Over 56,000 dream paintings have been created to date, marking the project's success in reaching audiences through an enriching, educational and immersive experience. The Dream Tapestry exemplifies how museums can embrace technology to enhance visitor engagement and appreciation for art, setting a new standard for interactive exhibitions.