Escher x nendo | Between Two Worlds

The National Gallery of Victoria never ceases to amaze with their collections and Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds was no exception. The exhibition presents Dutch artist M. C. Escher in collaboration with Japanese design studio nendo, led by designer Oki Sato. This exhibition is more of an experience rather than your standard art show. Expect to be shocked and amazed as the collection explores existential issues that really make the viewer think.

Over 150 of Escher’s most renowned prints and drawings will be displayed and complemented by nendo’s design architecture. Escher’s passion for the impossible is showcased as a combination of visual puzzles, impossible architectural structures and endless staircases. This ambitious display portrays technical genius by both Escher and nendo, to take the viewer through an impossible feat of time and space.

The spectacular interactive architecture by nendo compliments Escher’s brain-teasing artworks perfectly. You could spend hours walking through this show inspecting every detail – the more you look, the more you see!

The exhibition is fun and interactive with engaging light techniques and modern structure. Nendo takes inspiration from Escher’s manipulation of space to create a completely otherworldly exhibition. Combining 20th and 21st century design elements has created something magical in the show:

It’s as if [the viewers] are walking inside Escher’s mind, but seeing the exhibition through their own eyes.– Oki Sato, Chief Designer and Founder, nendo. 

Escher created some of the most iconic images of the 20th century and continued to challenge established notions around space, time and the everyday world throughout his career. The use of negative space as positive space, patterns and infinity pieces are what makes his work so unique. He has often been described as the master of optical illusion.

The exhibition covers works from the full span of Escher’s visionary career, from 1916 to 1969. Showcasing spatial ambiguities and a combination of 2D and 3D design, the viewer’s perspectives are often played with. Each room is a different theme including: Space and illusions, House in Perspective, Zooming House, House of Movement, Infinity and Impossible Worlds and Gathered House. Each room is different and astonishing; the viewer never knows what is around the next corner, much like Escher’s art.  

Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds is much more than an exhibition. It is a creation of something that isn’t possible in real life. Viewing Escher’s art and nendo’s design creates interaction with the art. Viewers start talking to each other and questioning the impossible. That is truly something remarkable.

The NGV can put on a good show and this is definitely too good to miss. Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds will be on display from Sunday, 2 December 2018 to Sunday, 7 April 2019.

Escher x nendo | Between Two Worlds
The National Gallery of Victoria, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Till Sunday, 7 April 2019
ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/escher-x-nendo-between-two-worlds/