Vasarely – The Father of Op Art

Almost everyone is familiar with Victor Vasarely’s art. His works, which create optical illusions, live on not only on museum walls: they appear on postcards, design objects, book covers, and can even be found blending into the facades of buildings in numerous cities around the world. 

Vasarely’s life story is truly remarkable. Would you have thought that he drew his inspiration from nature—specifically, from the waves of Lake Balaton? Later, in France, in Paris, where the convergence of modern art and geometry gave his works a whole new direction.

He did not seek to replicate nature, but rather explore the systems underlying it: patterns, proportions, rhythm, and repetitions. This is how his iconic works came into being, including his legendary Zebra series, in which he transformed the rules of geometry into art with mathematical precision & optical vibrancy.

Long before the digital age, Vasarely conceived of visual systems that today seem almost algorithmic. Many consider his works to be precursors to computer graphics and digital visual culture. 

This world is not static. It pulses. It undulates. It reacts to you.   

This is precisely the essence of op art, or optical art: it plays with our senses. The paintings seem not to be static surfaces, but living, breathing systems. It is not reality that changes, but the way we perceive it. 

In the immersive space of CODE, Vasarely’s art does not merely appear in images—it surrounds you. The walls melt away, the forms step out of their frames, the colors shift, and the space comes to life. There’s no need to decipher or analyze; just step inside and let it affect you. Your eyes begin to vibrate, your heads spin, your perception becomes uncertain—but that is precisely the point: this is how we yourselves become part of the visual universe that Vasarely envisioned. 

Vasarely believed that geometry was a universal language that everyone instinctively understood. To him, geometric shapes were like building blocks: simple elements from which an infinite number of visual worlds could be created. 

The square, circle, or the hexagon was never merely a form to him, but part of a system—a visual logic capable of creating movement, depth, and optical illusion. Through his art, he asked the same questions over and over again: how do we see, how do we perceive, and how can we optically “trick” your brains?  

Vasarely’s goal was for art to be the privilege not only of galleries and museums, but an experience accessible to everyone. To mark the 120th anniversary of his birth, CODE is now bringing the world-renowned artist’s works closer to you in a way you’ve never experienced before. 

Here, you’re not just a spectator. 

You become part of the show. 

You don’t just watch it.  

It flows through you.  

• Director, Artistic Director: Dániel Besnyő, Mátás Kálmán
• Animation: Gáspár Battha, Dániel Besnyő, László Zsolt Bordos, Patrik Kiss, András Nagy
• Editor: Gábor Tarcsay 
• Composer: Áron Pfitzner 
• 4D Sound Mixing: Péter Halász
• Narration Text: Krisztián Nyáry
• Narrator: Tibor Szakács
• Experience corridor: József Simon, Dániel Ránki

Centrum + Colloc Productions, 2025 

The immersive exhibition Vasarely – The Father of Op Art was primarily inspired by the following works:

• ZEBRA-A (1972, 562×506 cm) 
• VEGA-ZETT (1971, 585×585 cm) 
• S272 VONAL (1968, 54.2×53.6 cm) 
• MANIPUR (1952, 644×535 cm) 
• Gestalt Jaune (1970, 80×80 cm) 

Licensed by ©ADAGP, Paris, 2026