Impossible staircases. Interlocking snakes. Tessellations of horses. Shapes blending and blurring in the most brain-scrambling of ways. Few artists have combined graphic design, mathematics and science as distinctively as Maurits Cornelis Escher.
You’ve undoubtedly seen his work before. However, you’ve never seen it like this.
La Trobe University is the Learning Partner of the National Gallery of Victoria and their world-premiere exhibition Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds . The exhibition, which is open to the public until April 7, features nine display areas arranged according to theme. From a room where four black houses transform into five white houses to another where symmetrical mirrors complete the viewer’s perspective of the space.
Escher’s works have been brought to immersive, monochromatic life by the Japanese design house Nendo. Reflecting the artist’s preoccupation with perspective and space, the exhibition allows visitors to experience Escher’s designs in a physical way.
Additionally, more than 160 of Escher’s works are on display, loaned from Gemeentemuseum in the Hague.
For Escher fans, it’s heaven. For visual art students, it’s a remarkable opportunity to study one of the most unique and enigmatic contemporary artists. Which is why La Trobe is offering students the chance to enrol in Summer at the NGV – the only university-accredited summer school subject taught at the gallery.
Summer at the NGV is managed by Dr Vincent Alessi, La Trobe’s Senior Lecturer in Visual Arts. Here’s a taste of the workshops, lectures and master classes you can experience.
Master Class: Impossible Spaces (1-2 March 2019)
Gain valuable insights into the development, design and presentation of the exhibition with the Impossible Spaces Masterclass program, managed by contemporary Australian artist and La Trobe’s Public Program’s Co-ordinator, Karen Annett-Thomas.
Day one kicks off with Imagining impossible spaces – a lecture and a workshop introducing students to the challenges of presenting Escher’s work to contemporary audiences.
Day two features the Building impossible spaces workshop and panel discussion, which will shine a light on exhibition design and nendo’s immersive environments.
You can register for the full two-day experience or simply purchase a lecture pass.
Visit the NGV website for more on Escher X Nendo | Between Two Worlds.
Interested in studying visual arts at La Trobe University? Learn about our Art History and Visual Arts courses.
Already at La Trobe? Enrol in our Summer at the NGV subject for a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
