Salvador Dali sculpture to feature at Ireland’s biggest art and sculpture event in Cork

The largest Salvador Dali sculpture ever displayed in Ireland is to feature at the country’s biggest art and sculpture event.

Dance of Time II, valued at 1.1 million euros and unveiled on Monday at Cork’s Castlemartyr resort, will be the star attraction at Art and Soul, which begins this Saturday and runs until June 23.

It is a 405kg, 1.5 metre high bronze sculpture showcasing Dali’s enduring, melting clocks motif.

The event will also feature works by Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, and is being hosted at the five-star resort by Gormleys, which operates art galleries in Dublin and Belfast.

Oliver Gormley of Gormleys said: “The melted clock is the most well-known and beloved of Dali’s iconoclastic images, and he chose to portray this consistently throughout his lifetime.

“The ever-present fluidity of time is represented in this sculpture as time not only moving, but dancing in rhythm to the beat of the universe.

“Dalinian time is perpetual and dances on, stopping for no man, history or even the cosmos.” The free event, showcasing a total of eight million euros’ worth of works by the biggest names in international and Irish art, includes an outdoor exhibition of 90 large sculptures and installations in the 220-acre grounds of the 17th century manor estate.

Art and Soul will coincide with the Blackwater Valley Opera Festival from May 27 to June 3 at 11 venues across the Blackwater Valley, including an open air lunch time recital at Castlemartyr on June 2.

With over 300 works on display, the art and sculpture event will be the largest showcase of sculpture in Ireland to date and will feature international artists alongside leading Irish sculptors Patrick O’Reilly, Ian Pollock, Eamonn Ceannt and Bob Quinn.

The hotel’s interior will display 100 artworks by some of the world’s best-known artists, including Hirst, Warhol, Giacinto Bosco, Patrick Rubinstein and Patrick Hughes.

This will be the tenth major art and sculpture event Gormleys have organised, and the second time it has appeared at the southern resort.

“Art and Soul gives art lovers a unique opportunity to view these incredible works of art in the beautiful surroundings of Castlemartyr,” said Mr Gormley.

“Adults and children will enjoy the event equally, and our previous events in Russborough in Wicklow and the Culloden Hotel in Belfast attracted over 10,000 visitors.” 

Brendan Comerford, general manager of Castlemartyr Resort, said it is the “perfect background” for the arts-centric summer, with its “rich history and impressive grounds”.

“We are looking forward to welcoming guests and visitors to celebrate the extensive programme of artworks, talks, tours and musical performances that will take place,” he said.

During the event, there will be a programme of artists’ talks and daily guided tours. Art and Soul will be open to the public daily from 11am – 7pm.