Salvador Dalí The Persistence of Memory

For a moment, time stopped being a straight, rigid line and melted into a soft, fluid form — just like in Dalí’s iconic painting. Our third-grade students explored one of the most recognisable symbols of surrealism, The Persistence of Memory, and then tried to bring it to life in their own unique way. Instead of rushing forward, time in their classroom slowed down, bent, slid over the edges of desks, and became part of an entirely different artistic story.

The task was simple, yet wonderfully imaginative: create a “melting clock” inspired by Dalí’s visual world, where logic bends and reality slips into a dream. Using coloured pencils, markers, scissors, and a bit of research, students created artworks that were playful, symbolic, and surprisingly thoughtful. Each clock carried the child’s personal stamp — the choice of colours, the shape of the clock face, the position of the hands, and even the way the clock “dripped” over the desk. Some chose bold contrasts, others pastel tones, while a few tried to imitate Dalí’s original with impressive precision.

Entering Dalí’s world: where time behaves like a dream

Before starting their artwork, the students explored who Salvador Dalí was and why his art looks so strikingly different. They learned that Dalí didn’t paint the world as it is — he painted the world as we feel it: thoughts, memories, emotions, dreams.
When they saw The Persistence of Memory, they noticed what generations before them had also seen — melting clocks, a dreamlike landscape, and a sense of silence and suspended time. Their questions began immediately:

– Why is the clock melting?
– Can time really stop?
– What is Dalí trying to tell us?
– Is this about memories that fade?
– Or is it a message that time rules us only if we let it?

The teacher guided them through a conversation about how art can express what cannot be seen — memories, feelings, and the shifting nature of time. It was the moment students began to understand the essence of surrealism: art doesn’t have to be “accurate”, but it always has to be true.

Melting clocks as little manifestos of creativity

After learning about Dalí’s painting, students were asked to create their own clock — one that represents how they experience time.
The result? A classroom filled with artworks that could easily fit into a modern art gallery. Children placed their clocks so they hung over desk edges, just like in Dalí’s composition. This allowed them to think spatially — how a shape bends, how shadows change perception, and what happens when an object interacts with real space. Throughout the activity, comments that sounded like pure artistic insight filled the room:

✨ “My clock shows the time when I’m happiest.”
✨ “Mine is melting because I don’t like to rush.”
✨ “When I study maths, time goes slower — that’s why it bends!”
✨ “This pink one is my ‘going home’ time.”

Even in their humour, there was deep understanding — children naturally connected time with emotions, routines, moods, and the rhythm of their day.
This approach to art gives children far more than beautiful work to hang on school walls:

– They develop visual literacy: observing, interpreting, and recognising symbolism.
– Their fine motor skills and precision improve.
– They learn creative problem-solving without a single “correct answer.”
– They discover that art can be fun, unusual, and delightfully “strange.”
– They build confidence — every work, without exception, has value and authenticity.
Through Dalí, students were really learning about themselves — about how they experience time, how it shifts throughout the day, and how the world looks when they allow it to be a little more magical.

At Savremena, we nurture exactly that: the courage to think differently, to create something entirely new, and to know that imagination is just as important as any lesson in a book.