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Biography |
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1908 |
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Born April 9 in Pécs, Hungary |
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1927 |
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Began artistic training at private drawing school in Budapest. |
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1928 |
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Joins the training center 'Mühely' (German 'workshop') which was run by Sándor Bortnyik and taught the ideas of the Bauhaus |
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1927 - 1929 |
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Studies art at the Podolini-Volkmann Academy in Budapest. |
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1929 |
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Enrols at Alexander Bortnyik’s Mühely Academy, widely recognised as the centre of Bauhaus studies in Budapest. |
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1930 |
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Moves to Paris and becomes successful as a graphic designer |
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1930 - 1934 |
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Moves to Paris, where he works as a graphic artist for various agencies, including Havas, and for the renowned printer Draeger. Begins his Zebra studies and engages in his first optical experiments. Marries Claire Spinner in 1931. Their first child André is born the same year. A second son, Jean-Pierre, is born in 1934. |
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1935 - 1945 |
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Assembles an important body of graphic works , developing the aesthetic foundations for his plastic language. In 1944, inaugurates the Galerie Denise René in Paris with a solo-exhibition, and in 1945, participates for the first time in the Salon des Surindépendants. |
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1947 |
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Develops understanding that geometric forms could evoke a sensory perception conveying new ideas of space, matter and energy. |
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1946 - 1950 |
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Moves decidedly towards Constructivist and geometric abstract art, inspired by artists such as Malevitch, Moholy-Nagy and Walter Gropius. His vacations at Gordes and Belle-Isle from 1947 onwards play an important role in inspiring this shift away from figurative representation. Publishes his first edition of prints. Exhibits at the Salon des Surindépendants (1946), the Salon des Réalités Nouvelles (1947) and Galerie Denis René in Paris (1948). |
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1951 - 1959 |
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Works predominantly in black and white. Develops and defines the visual elements of Op Art, the movement with which his name has become inextricably linked. In 1955 publishes his Yellow Manifesto and receives the Critics Award in Brussels and the Gold Medal at the Milan Triennial. Completes a series of murals for the University of Caracas in Venezuela, as well as several architectural integrations such as Hommage à Malevitch. Participates in numerous exhibitions such as Le Mouvement at the Galerie Denise René (1955), 50 Ans d’Art Moderne at the Palais International des Beaux-Arts in Brussels (1958), and Inaugural Selection at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York (1959). Has solo exhibitions at the Buenos Aires and Caracas museums of art (1958/59) and at Galerie Der Spiegel in Cologne (1959). |
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1960 - 1965 |
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Receives the International Guggenheim Award in New York (1964), the Grand Prix de la Gravure in Ljubljana in Slovenia (1965) as well as the Grand Prize at the VIII Art Biennale of São Paolo (1965). Also awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres in Paris (1965). Participates in many group exhibitions, incuding Documenta III in Kassel, Germany (1964) and, most notably, The Responsive Eye at the Museum of Modern Art in New York (1965). Also has numerous solo exhibitions, including shows at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (1963), the Pace Gallery in New York (1964), the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels (1965) and the Kunsthalle in Bern in Switzerland (1965). |
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1955 - 1968 |
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Exhibits work regularly at the documenta in Kassel |
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1966 - 1970 |
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Completes several architectural projects, including one for the French pavilion at the World Expo in Montreal (1967). Also completes two films Les Multiples and Précinetisme. Interviews of the artist by Jean-Louis Ferrier are published. Awarded Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur (1970). Numerous group exhibitions, among them Lumière et Mouvement at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville in Paris (1967) and 10 Ans d’Art vivant, 1955-65 at the Fondation Maeght (1968) in Saint Paul-de-Vence in France, as well as solo exhibitions at the Sidney Janis Gallery in New York (1966 and 1968), Galerie Denise René in Paris (1969) and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest (1969). |
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1971 - 1975 |
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Inauguration of the Vasarely Museum in Gordes in France (1971). Publishes the four volumes of Plasti-cité and receives the International Art Book Award for two of the volumes in 1971 and 1975. Solo exhibitions at the Galerie Denise René (1972) and Sidney Jannis Gallery (1972). Designs the set for the Racine Opera Bérenice, performed in Hungary. |
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1976 - 1982 |
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Inauguration of the Vasarely Foundation in Aix-en-Provence (1976) and the Vasarely Museum in his hometown of Pécs (1978). Solo exhibitions at the Caracas Museum of Contemporary Art (1977) and the Phoenix Art Museum (1979). Creates 154 prints that are transported into space aboard the Soyuz 7 by a French-Soviet team of cosmonauts . |
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1987 |
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Inauguration of second museum in Zichy Palace in Budapest |
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1983 - 1990 |
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Named Honorary Citizen of the City of New York and delivers a series of lectures in the United States. In France, Vasarely is named Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1985) and promoted to the rank of Grand Officier de l'Ordre du Mérite in France (1990). Inauguration of the Vasarely Museum at the Zichy Palace in Budapest (1987). |
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1997 |
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Dies March 15 in Paris. |
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Exhibitions |
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2008 |
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Linie, Art Forum Ute Barth, Zurich |
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2007 |
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Twin Bill, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City, OK |
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2006 |
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The Expanded Eye, Kunsthaus Zurich, Switzerland |
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2005 |
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The Kinetic Eye: Optical and Kinetic Art, 1950-1975, 13 May – 25 September, Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Strasbourg, France |
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2005 |
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Victor Vasarely in black and white, Robert Sandelson, London |
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2004 |
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Victor Vasarely: Black and White paintings from 1950s, 16 October – 13 November 2004, Robert Miller Gallery, New York |
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2004 |
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Victor Vasarely: Founder of Op Art, Naples Museum of Art, Naples, Florida |
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2004 |
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Victor Vasarely – Parcours 1930-1980, La Fondation Demeures du Nord, Lille |
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2003 |
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Victor Vasarely, Robert Sandelson, London |
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2001 |
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Vasarely Inconnu, Palais Bénédictine, Fécamp |
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2000 |
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Vasarely, Fundacion Juan March, Madrid, Spain |
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1998 |
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Vasarely – Geometrie, Abstraktion, Rhythmus. Die Fünfziger Jahre, Ulmer Museum, Ulm |
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1997 - 1998 |
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Vasarely – Erfinder der Op-Art, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen, Kunstverein Wolfsburg and Joseph Albers Museum, Bottrop |
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1996 - 1997 |
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Vasarely: Hommages, Musée Communal des Beaux-Arts, Charleroi and Fondation Vasarely, Aix-en-Provence |
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1995 |
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Victor Vasarely – 50 Years of Creation, Musée Olympique, Lausanne |
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1992 |
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Le Mouvement, Fondation Maeght, St-Paul-de-Vence |
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1992 |
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Retrospective, Kunstforum Vienna, Austria |
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1987 |
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Vasarely, Esterhazy Castle, Eisenstadt |
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1987 |
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Victor Vasarely, Okresné Museum, Prague |
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1986 |
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Vasarely, National Museum of Fine Arts, Algiers |
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1986 |
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Galerie der Stadt Esslingen am Neckar, Germany |
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1980 |
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The Art Of Victor Vasarely, Midland Center of Arts, Midland, Michigan |
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1979 |
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The Optic Art of Vasarely, Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona |
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1977 |
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Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas |
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1975 |
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Cultural Centre, Modena, Italy |
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1972 |
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Exposition de sérigraphies et de multiples, Philadelphia Art Museum |
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1972 |
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Sidney Janis Gallery, New York |
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1972 |
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Galerie Denise René, Paris |
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1970 |
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From Renoir to Vasarely, Salon d’Automne, Grand-Palais, Paris |
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1969 |
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Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Hungary |
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1969 |
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Folklore Planétaire, Galerie Denis René, Paris |
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1968 |
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Vasarely, Sidney Janis Gallery, New York |
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1968 |
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10 Ans d’Art Vivant, 1955-65, Fondation Maeght, St Paul-de-Vence, France |
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1967 |
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Lumière et Mouvement, Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville, Paris |
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1967 |
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Multiples, Galerie Denise René, Paris |
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1966 |
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Sidney Janis Gallery, New York |
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1965 |
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The Responsive Eye, Museum of Modern Art, New York |
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1965 |
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Kunsthalle, Berne, Switzerland |
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1964 |
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Documenta III, Kassel, Germany |
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1964 |
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Vasarely et l’Art Social, Académie des Beaux-Arts, Paris |
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1964 |
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Pace Gallery, New York |
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1963 |
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L'Unite Plastique, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris |
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1963 |
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Taft Museum, Cincinatti |
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1959 |
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Galerie Der Spiegel, Cologne |
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1959 |
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Museo de Bellas Artes, Caracas |
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1959 |
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Inaugural Selection, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York |
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1958 |
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50 Ans d’Art Moderne, Palais International des Beaux-Arts,Brussels |
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1958 |
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Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires |
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1955 |
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Palais de Beaux-Arts, Bruxelles; APIAW, Liege |
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1955 |
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Le Mouvement, Galerie Denise René, Paris |
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1955 |
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Galerie Der Spiegel, Cologne |
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1950 |
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Galerie Arne Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhague |
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1948 |
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Tendences de l’Art Abstrait, Galerie Denise René, Paris |
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1944 |
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Galerie Denise René, Paris |
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1930 |
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Galerie Kovacs Akos, Budapest |
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