- Title: Dali's body to be exhumed on July 20
- Date: 19th July 2017
- Summary: FIGUERES, SPAIN (JULY 13, 2017) (REUTERS) FACADE OF GALATEA TOWER AT FIGUERES CITY VARIOUS OF FACADE OF DALI'S THEATRE MUSEUM AT FIGUERES VARIOUS OF DALI'S TOMBSTONE WITH THE FULL NAME OF CATALAN ARTIST, DATE OF BIRTH AND DEATH DATE DALI'S TOMB AND ARTWORK IN MUSEUM DALI'S ARTWORK / DALI'S TOMB DALI'S TOMB IN MUSEUM AND PEOPLE WALKING AROUND MADRID, SPAIN (JULY 13, 2017) (REUTERS) MARIA PILAR ABEL, WHO ALLEGES SHE IS DALI'S DAUGHTER, AT INTERVIEW CLOSE OF ABEL´S EYES ABEL BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIA PILAR ABEL, WHO ALLEGES SHE IS DALI'S DAUGHTER, SAYING: "I can't go. It depends on the foundation. Can you picture myself there at the exhumation? I wouldn't be able to, I would get crazy. It would be shocking and hurt. No, I would rather not be present. They wouldn't allow me. No. Once everything is clear I want to see him." ABEL'S HANDS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIA PILAR ABEL, WHO ALLEGES SHE IS DALI'S DAUGHTER, ON THE PROCESS TO EXHUME DALI´S REMAINS: "If they need extra days it's ok. It depends on the judge. I don´t want them to injure him even a finger, I couldn't forgive myself. No. I keep my mask (Dali´s mortuary mask), just picture the scene. He has to be respected. I have had to wait so many years that I could wait seven more days." CLOSE OF ABEL'S EYES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIA PILAR ABEL, WHO ALLEGES SHE IS DALI'S DAUGHTER, ON WHAT SHE WANTS WITH THE EXHUMATION: "First of all my identity, I want to know who I am. That is what I hope for. To know the truth. The rest will come. First one thing and then another. And I hope for a smile from my mother as well." ABEL AT INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARIA PILAR ABEL, WHO ALLEGES SHE IS DALI'S DAUGHTER, SAYING: "I don´t know. I might cry a lot, or freeze or fall to the ground. I don´t know. I have cried a lot... How do I picture that day... I can´t describe it with words. I don´t know. If I'm moved now how do you think I will be that day?" FIGUERES, SPAIN (JULY 13, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND AT FIGUERES CITY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) JOSE LUIS NAVARRO, RETIRED, 74-YEAR-OLD, SAYING: "I think it's necessary if a person, in this case a woman, who claims to be his daughter, I don't see it as wrong, in my opinion it's good. I don't know if this lady does it to earn money or just to say that she's the daughter but it's fine that she seeks to know who was her father." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING AROUND AT FIGUERES CITY (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MARGARITA PESCADOR, RETIRED, 76-YEARS-OLD, SAYING: "Her mother should know it perfectly, if he (Dali) is the father or not. They should have said it before and searched for the DNA before doing what they have to do now." PEOPLE WALKING AROUND FIGUERES PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE DALI'S MUSEUM / TOP OF MUSEUM WITH A SIGN THAT SAYS "TEATRE MUSEU DALI"
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2017 09:47
- Keywords: Pilar Abel daughter exhumation Spain surrealsim Dali's grave paternity claim Figueres DNA Salvador Dali
- Location: FIGUERES AND MADRID, SPAIN
- City: FIGUERES AND MADRID, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
- Reuters ID: LVA0016QDV493
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Catalonia's High Court said on Thursday (July 13) that Salvador Dali's body will be exhumed on July 20 in order to take DNA samples following a paternity claim.
The woman who claims to be Salvador Dali´s daughter, Maria Pilar Abel, said on Thursday (July 13) that she will not attend the exhumation of the remains of the surrealist Spanish artist.
Pilar underwent a DNA test in Madrid on July 11 and hopes to get a positive result to change her last name from Abel to Dali.
Born in 1956, Abel claims her mother had an affair with the painter in the 1950s while she was working as a family employee and has been fighting to have Dali recognized as her father since 2007.
She said that her priority is to be recognised as Dali´s daughter and she hasn't got the inheritance in mind.
The Salvador Dali Foundation has lodged an appeal against the exhumation.
Dali, who died in 1989 aged 84, was a one of the most famous artists from the 20th century surrealist period. He painted pictures like the melting clocks in the 1931 work "The Persistence of Memory" but also turned his hand to movies, sculpture and advertising. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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