Victor Vasarely

Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) was a Hungarian artist who in 1929 joined the Muhëly School in Budapest, recognized as the equivalent of the German Bauhaus school. He was profoundly influenced by the school's teaching, which introduced him to Constructivist trends and Abstract Art. Quickly bored by abstraction, he sought to "excite the eye" and depict active forms, focusing on both form and perception. In the 1950s, he participated in the creation of the first optical works of kinetic art, with productions that were initially black and white. In the same vein, he distinguished himself in contemporary art by creating a new trend: optical art. While Vasarely achieved notoriety during his lifetime, his work was omnipresent in France from the 60s and 70s onwards. He was as much the creator of the Renault logo as he was of a David Bowie album cover and several Parisian building decors. His work is included in the permanent collections of major museums such as the Centre Georges Pompidou (Paris) and the Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco). Before his death, with the help of his wife, Victor Vasarely established the Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence, where some of his works have since been conserved.