Vasarely, a pioneer of op-art, now at the Pompidou Centre

With "Sharing Shapes", the galleries of Pompidou Centre will present the first French retrospective on the father of optical art in 50 years. From 6 February to 2 May 2019, the three hundred works, items, and documents included in the exhibition will provide visitors with insight into his world and highlight the many facets of this pioneer of the optical art movement.

Vasarely at Paris’ Pompidou Centre

Featuring a thematic and chronological layout, the exhibition will touch on all the major points in the artist’s career, starting with his Bauhaus-influenced education to the latest innovations in his abstract work. This former graphic designer, who once worked in the advertising industry, invented his very own style through the creation of hypnotic images heavily inspired by space and science fiction.

No, you haven’t entered the fourth dimension. The Feny print is just an optical illusion. © DR

The artist shifts, combines, and interlocks geometric shapes. © DR

From Op Art to Pop Art

From paintings and sculptures to architectural installations, his « optical-kinetic » art has earned great acclaim and heavily influenced Pop Art culture in the fashion, design, cinema, and television industries. If you’d like to learn more about this original artist after your visit, head to his foundation, a unique building overlooking a large pond in Aix-en-Provence.

Designed in 1974, The Koska-A heliograph incorporated the concept of 3D well before its time. © DR