- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
St. Petersburg residents and visitors can trade the Florida heat for a digital oasis when the Dalí Museum unveils “Surreal Nature,” a new immersive experience that opens on July 10.
The installation fuses Salvador Dalí’s artistic spirit with Seoul, Korea-based digital design house d’strict’s vision and immersive technology to transport guests into cascading waterfalls, bioluminescent jungles, and vibrant seascapes. Museum officials recently offered an exclusive sneak peek of “Surreal Nature” before the limited-time, 360-degree experience inside the Dali Dome opens to the public.
Beth Harrison, director of digital experiences at the Dalí Museum, explained that “very high-end visual artists” comprise d’strict, which is “very well known” in Korea. The firm has received over 80 international design awards for Arte Museum, an immersive media art venue with locations in New York City and Las Vegas, and is now bringing its unique talent to St. Petersburg.
“Step into the dome, and you never know what you’re going to see within that space,” Harrison told Power Broker Magazine. “That was the goal for us - bring something new to our community and our members, and I hope people enjoy it.”
The museum’s announcement describes the 30-minute experience as “meditative, yet fantastical escape.” Harrison likened it to time at a spa during the hot summer months, and believes “art heals.”
About 10 people attended the preview event. While some relaxed in beanbag chairs and others moved around the dome to gain new perspectives, all were literally and figuratively engulfed by the sights and sounds of “Surreal Nature.”
“Salvador Dalí saw the world in ways no one else could, reimagining nature into something entirely his own - ‘Surreal Nature’ carries that spirit forward, inviting visitors to experience the natural world made new again,” said Hank Hine, executive director of the Dalí Museum, in a statement.
“The Dalí Dome has always been a space for art without boundaries, and ‘Surreal Nature’ extends that vision, offering our community a rare moment of stillness, beauty, and wonder.”
Established in 2004, d’strict, a self-billed “art tech factory,” garnered widespread acclaim for “Waterfall-NYC,” a 350-foot-tall, hyper-realistic digital projection that cascaded down the exterior of One Times Square. The firm also created the world’s first indoor 4D art park.
Since its debut in 2020, Arte Museum has attracted over 10 million visitors across locations in South Korea, North America, China, the Middle East, and North Africa. Harrison said she, Hine, and Kathy Greif, chief operating officer of the Dalí Museum, visited the venue in New York and decided that d’strict’s “take on being immersed in nature” would be an ideal fit for the Dali Dome.
The geodesic dome, which opened in 2023, is 39 feet high and over 60 feet across. Previous immersive experiences - courtesy of 14 projectors hung from a central truss in the ceiling that display digital art onto the walls and floor - have highlighted the music of Pink Floyd and Queen, and the life and art of Dalí.
“The Dalí Dome gave us an entirely new canvas - unlike anything we’ve worked with before,” said Sean Lee, CEO of Art Museum and d’strict. “Its shape and scale transformed our approach to every element, from the choreography of light to the movement of sound.”
Harrison noted that “Surreal Nature” has two chapters: Ocean and Land. St. Petersburg is surrounded by water, and she said Hine felt it was important to prominently feature seascapes.
The first chapter “immerses guests in the power, mystery, and beauty of the sea,” states the museum’s announcement. Land then begins with a “pulse of life and growth before unfolding into blooming gardens, cascading waterfalls, and a mystical forest that culminates in a bioluminescent jungle.”
Lee said visitors “won’t be watching nature, but standing inside it.” He also believes the local collaboration is the “beginning of a deeper presence for Arte Museum across the United States.”
For more information, visit the website here.
Share Your News with Us
To share news with the Power Broker, connect with reachout@powerbrokermagazine.com. To sign up for our twice-weekly e-newsletter, visit www.powerbrokernews.com, and to join our online conversation, subscribe to our YouTube channel at Power Broker Media Group – YouTube.