New 'augmented reality' exhibits at Dali museum bring paintings to life

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FOX 13) - The executive director of the Salvador Dali museum didn't want the artist's art lining these walls, silent and unmoving.

"These days, young people want animation," executive director Dr. Hank Hine said.

That's exactly what his team did. 

"With our devices you can take a look at Dali and his paintings in an entirely, exciting, vibrant, contemporary way," he explained.

Dali's master-works is one of three new exhibits opening Saturday in the St. Petersburg Museum.

"We're using augmented reality to bring these paintings to a new kind of openness," Hine said. "The augmented reality shows you the double-images, the relations between images, and allows you to kind of query the paintings about their themes."

This is the most exhibits the museum has ever premiered simultaneously, and also includes works by Dali's greatest influence, Francisco Goya. The Spanish artist inspired Dali 200 years prior to his own work. 

But beyond the paintings, the exhibit will feature the only original set of Dali sculptures in the world. 

"We're working with a publisher in Spain who is enlarging the sculptures that Dali made in a little maquette-size out of wax, in his garden, taking a break from his painting," he said.

The larger-than-life versions can be found in the courtyard outside the museum. Hine says it's all about bringing Dali's work into the next generation. 

"Kids are going to love this augmented reality because they can use their parent's cellphone or device from the museum and animate these paintings," he said. 

The works will be on display until November 3.