The National Gallery of Victoria's latest summer blockbuster is an immersive wonderland dedicated to the late Dutch artist M.C. Escher, known for his optical illusion prints and illustrations.
In an inspired move, the gallery enlisted Japanese design house Nendo to install the exhibition - and the result is an artwork in itself!
Acknowledged as a master of optical illusion, Escher created some of the most iconic images of the twentieth century, intriguing viewers with their visual puzzles and challenge established notions around space, time and the everyday world. Escher's work depicts impossible architectural structures, endless staircases and seamless transformations of form and pattern. His fantastical constructions and repetitive infinity patterns reveal a technical and inventive genius that in recent years has become increasingly revered and celebrated.
Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds explores Escher's unique artistic vision covering the full span of his career, from 1916 through to his final work produced in 1969. Highlights include some of Escher's best-known works including Day and night, 1938 (above), a woodcut representing light breaking over a Dutch landscape of exactly mirrored towns, fields and waterways, through to the masterpiece that was his final work, Snakes, 1969, created three years before his death in 1972 at age seventy-three.
NGV Friday Nights also returns for summer with a music line-up fusing classical and contemporary influences, exclusive late-night access to Escher X nendo / Between Two Worlds, plus bars and dining. This summer's headline electronic artists and DJs include songwriter and producer Andy Bull, Melbourne duo Confidence Man, Sydney's Nicole Millar, record producer Jonti and Australian/Filipino artist Chela. Check the NGV website for the full lineup and ticket details.
Immerse yourself in all things Escher with a Monocromatic High Tea at Sofi's The Lounge. Pastry Chef David Hann and his team have embraced the technical and inventive genius of 20th century artist Escher and drawn inspiration from one of the 21st century's most inventive design studio's, nendo, in their exquisite Monocromatic High Tea offering, which tastes as good as it looks. For further details and read the full review by our friends at High Tea Society.
Escher X Nendo: Between Two Worlds is at NGV International until 7 April 2018. Admission fees apply.
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