Debrecen’s MODEM is set to open a unique exhibition, Time Mimicry – Salvador Dalí’s Fashion Visions and Contemporary Hungarian Fashion from the Museum of Applied Arts, on February 21, 2026, running until May 24.
The opening ceremony begins at 5:00 PM with greetings from Dr. István Puskás, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen for Cultural Affairs, and Kata Vizi, Managing Director of MODEM. The exhibition will be officially inaugurated by Dr. Petra Egri, Head of the Department of Applied Arts at the University of Pécs and permanent researcher at the Hungarian Academy of Arts (MMKI). Following the opening, Dr. Judit Horváth, Head of the Contemporary Design Department at the Museum of Applied Arts, will lead a guided tour of the exhibition.
The exhibition brings together fifty-five years of artistic imagination. In twelve drawings created for the internationally recognized Belgian textile brand Scabal, Salvador Dalí envisioned the future of fashion. These works, presented for the first time in Debrecen, are displayed alongside contemporary Hungarian fashion creations from the 2000s, selected from the collection of the Museum of Applied Arts (MNMKK).
The MODEM exhibition features six original Dalí works, juxtaposed with pieces by Hungarian designers such as Tamás Király, Valéria Fazekas, Anikó Németh (Manier), Krisztina Remete, Dóra Zsigmond, Lilla Pápai, the Perceptuel Thinkers collective, Use Unused, Artista Studio, and Zita Attalai. These contemporary creations respond to the social, cultural, and aesthetic questions of their time, entering into a dialogue with Dalí’s visionary drawings as autonomous, equally significant expressions.
At the heart of the exhibition is the concept of time mimicry, highlighting fashion’s ability to adapt, evolve, and reinvent itself. A garment does not merely reflect the moment of its design but embodies the present of its wearer and the promise of an imagined future. Within this framework, time is not a linear progression but a space of repetition, reference, and reinterpretation.
Time Mimicry invites visitors to explore fashion as a culturally sensitive practice, revealing the layers and connections of different styles and eras through an innovative, time-conscious lens.
Curator: Dr. Judit Horváth, Head of the Contemporary Design Department, MNMKK Museum of Applied Arts
Exhibition Design: Kriszta Remete, DLA
The exhibition warmly welcomes all visitors. Please note that the program may change, and participation implies consent for audio and video recordings, which may be used for promotional purposes by MODEM.
(MODEM)
