Renault and the Ecole des Arts Déco in Paris present Vasarely, the Pope of Op Art!
"This exhibition is an opportunity to discover or to rediscover Renault's art collection through one of its major artists, Vasarely, father of optic art. It was Vasarely who designed the company's new logo in 1972. It would remain in use until 1992. "
Ann Hindry – Curator of the Renault art collection
Vasarely and the Renault art collection
Victor Vasarely (1906-1997) was a Hungarian artist and founder of the op art movement, in which art aims to give the viewer the impression of movement. Vasarely's artistic approach lent itself to monumental works in the industrial and urban environments. The "Pope of Op Art" produced more than 40 works as part of his cooperation with Renault.
Vasarely revisits the Renault logo
In 1972, Renault commissioned Vasarely to design a new logo, a project the artist undertook with his son Yvaral. The transformed logo kept the diamond shape, but with clean, dynamic, angular lines.
This logo remained in use until 1992 and is still considered as a source of inspiration for the brand logo today.
The Renault art collection, a pioneering approach
Set up in 1967, the Renault art collection is unlike any other corporate collection. It was not built up by acquiring existing works but through cooperation with artists interested in the world of industry and emerging societal issues. Renault provided technical resources, industrial equipment and premises for many artists including Vasarely, Arman, Dubuffet, Soto, Takis, and Tinguely, who produced an array of original works.
Today, the collection includes over 350 works, paintings, sculptures, drawings, photos, architectural installations, etc. These works are regularly displayed all over the world, in Tokyo (2003), Mexico (2005), Curitiba and Sao Paulo (2009), Moscow (2010), Riyadh (2010), Tel Aviv (2012), Istanbul (2013), Beijing (2016) or Wuhan (2017).
Practical information - Vasarely, the Pope of Op Art!
Exhibition from January 19 to February 1, 2018 - Preview on January 18 at 6:00 pm
École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (EnsAD)
31 rue d’Ulm 75005 Paris (entrance on the corner of rue d’Ulm and rue Erasme)
