Galerie The German-born theorist Denise René and psychologist of percep- tion Rudolf Arnheim publishes Denise René (1913-2012) was Art and Visual Perception: a central figure in the kinetic Soto makes his first A Psychology of the Creative and optical art movements, silkscreen prints on Eye, in which he uses psychol- and her gallery in Paris layers of Plexiglas ogy to reach a better under- standing of art. became a rallying point for In Paris the Hungarian artist Nicolas plates which have a dynamic optical effect the artists. René wanted to Schöffer presents a series of works, where The Swiss artist Jean Tinguely when one moves in promote the new art and the the viewer can manually make parts of the presents reliefs at Galerie front of them. work rotate. Arnaud in Paris in a series techniques that had either Hungarian Victor Vasarely creates his first Photogra- titled Méta-Malevich. The been sidelined during World Venezuelan architect Carlos Raúl The Israeli artist Yaacov phisme works and exhibits them at Galerie Denise René. works consist of geometrical War II or that represented Villanueva incorporates decorations by Agam exhibits his first They consist of black-and-white patterns on acrylic plates forms that move on the black among others Alexander Calder, Vasarely kinetic works in Paris, a new chapter for art. In one laid over another which seem to vibrate and change background with the aid of and Soto at the new university in Caracas. as well as reliefs whose 1944 she opened her first with the movements of the viewer in front of the work. an electric motor. Shown here is Vasarely’s ceramic wall surfaces are covered exhibition of works by Victor The American psychologist James with a variety of geo- Hommage à Malevich (1954). Vasarely, and in succeed- J. Gibson publishes the book The Percep- metrical forms. tion of the Visible World, with his account ing years she presented a The first mobile reliefs Basel 61 x 50 20 cm. Museum Tinguely, of how our image of the world is formed number of exhibitions that by the Belgian artist by visual input. Jean Tinguely: showed developments in Pol Bury are exhib- concrete and geometric art. The Venezuelan artist Jesús Rafael Soto ited in Brussels. Since moves to Paris and makes his first geo- 1959, Bury, inspired by René was internationally metrical artworks using optical effects. Alexander Calder, has Méta-Malevich oriented and was involved With inspiration from musique concrète, worked his way from in the mounting of exhibi- he continues working over the next few painting towards three- tions in both South America years with a focus on progression, dimensional works , 1954 and Scandinavia, including repetition and vibration. Optical and kinetic art Optical and kinetic focusing on motion. the exhibition Clear Form at Charlottenborg, Copenha- gen, 1951. Timeline 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 In 1955 Denise René opened the exhibition Le Mouvement, Colour TV sets make their seen today as the earliest debut on the American market. manifestation of the kinetic Danish viewers, meanwhile, will and optical movements. not be able to experience colour Marcel Duchamp’s Rotore- TV until 1968. liefs and Alexander Calder’s Context The European Organization for The barcode is patented by Joseph Woodland mobiles were shown along- Nuclear Research CERN (Con- and Bernard “Bob” Silver in the US. The structure of the side works by Victor Vasarely seil Européen pour la Recherche DNA molecule is map- and artists who were less The first jet airliners are introduced on routes ped by two molecular Nucléaire) is established in between Britain and South Africa. well known at the time such biologists, American Geneva, Switzerland. as Jean Tinguely, Jesús The hydrogen bomb, the world’s first thermo- James Watson and Rafael Soto, Yaacov Agam nuclear weapon, is tested for the first time by British Francis Crick, the US. By the next year the Soviet Union is an epochal event in and Pol Bury, as well as making weapons of the same type. the understanding of Danish Robert Jacobsen. The leading figure in Abstract Expres- human biology. René was also a consultant sionism, Jackson Pollock, photographed The composer John Cage’s soundless on the pioneering exhibi- a year after the famous article in Life composition 4’33” premieres in Woodstock, Joseph Stalin, the leader magazine: “Is he the greatest living New York. of the Soviet Union, dies, tion The Responsive Eye painter in the United States?” and there is a brief hope at MoMA, New York, 1965. that the Cold War will Over the next few years she War in the Korean Peninsula, which was Several science-fiction films premiere, be de-escalated. opened galleries in New York divided after World War II into two occu- including The Day the Earth Stood Still. pied zones: a Soviet one in the north and and Düsseldorf to accom- an American one in the south. In 1953 The author J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher modate the growing interest the parties sign an armistice and the in the Rye is published in the US. With its in optical and kinetic art. The Compiled by country is divided in two. account of a teenager’s angst and alienation gallery in Paris still exists it becomes an instant classic. Mia Tine Bowden Christiansen, Production of the Volkswagen Type 2 today. Signe Marie Ebbe Jacobsen Camper begins in Germany. Denise René with Yaacov Agam's work Dibouk, 1954 and Kristian Handberg 82 83 Along with the Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri, Yves Klein, Bury, Tinguely and the ZERO Gruppo T. From left: Gianni Colombo, At the exhibition Mouvement in Le Corbusier’s Cité artists Mack, Piene and Uecker organize the exhibition Vision in Motion / Motion in Giovanni Anceschi, Grazia Varisco, Davide Boriani and Gabriele Devecchi, 1964 Radieuse in Marseilles, Nicolas Schöffer presents the Vision in Antwerp. Later Mack and Piene mount the exhibition Dynamo 1 in Wiesbaden Gruppo N. From left: Toni Costa, Ennio The exhibition Le Mouvement opens at and in that connection come into contact with the Italian artist Piero Manzoni. The installation CYSP I (left), his first independently moving Chiggio, Manfredo Massironi, Edoardo same year Manzoni opens Galleria Azimuth in Milan and launches the periodical of Galerie Denise René in Paris. The exhibi- sculpture. Shown together with the French choreog- Schöffer’s mobile sculptures are described Landi and Alberto Biasi the same name, which functions as an international platform where artists associated tion is organized by Vasarely, Pontus rapher Maurice Béjart’s dancers, it combines abstract as “mobile paintings” by the French art his- Bridget Riley: Copy after Le Pont de with the kinetic art movement can present works and exchange ideas. Courbevoie by Georges Seurat, 1959 Hultén and Denise René. In connection kinetic sculpture with bodily motion. torian Guy Habasque. Schöffer himself calls to this, Vasarely publishes his Yellow Oil on canvas, 71.1 x 91.1 cm The exhibition This is Tomorrow opens at White chapel them “luminodynamic sculptures.” The German artist Gerhard von Graevenitz begins his investigation of the vibration © Bridget Riley 2015. All rights reserved, Manifesto, in which he introduces the Art Gallery in London. One of its themes, “Classical that occurs in the eye when one looks at repeated geometrical forms. courtesy Karsten Schubert, London principles behind optical and kinetic art. The group Equipo 57 is founded in Paris. Optical Illusions Developed by Albers and Duchamp” At the same time they publish a manifesto Günther Uecker invites The artist group Gruppo T (left) is established in Milan and Gruppo N (centre) adresses the optical in art. The exhibition, which deals to provide a collective basis for their indi- the viewer to participate in Padua, Italy. with aspects of popular culture, is also considered one of vidual works. and rotate the work Light the first exhibitions of Pop Art. The British artist Richard Globe, the surface of The British artist Bridget Riley paints Copy after Le Pont de Courbevoie by Georges Hamilton’s collage Just What Is It that Makes Today’s The ZERO group is founded in Düsseldorf. which is covered in nails. Seurat (right). Riley uses Seurat’s 1886-87 work in an exploration of the significance of colour in perception. The dotted, shimmering surfaces of Seurat’s pointillistic Homes So Different, So Appealing? is created as a poster ZERO. From left: Heinz Mack, Otto Piene Heinz Mack finishes his for the exhibition (right). and Günther Uecker, 1962 brushstrokes are transformed by Riley in subsequent years into abstract Courtesy Whitechapel Gallery Archive Whitechapel Courtesy firstLight-Reliefs and geometrical forms. Light-Dynamos. The Argentinean artist Julio Le Parc moves to Paris, where he makes the acquaintance of the abstract art movement around Galerie Denise René. Prior to this he has seen an exhibition of Vasarely at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires. 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 The Americans William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain are awarded The Space Age begins in earnest with the launch by the the Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention Soviet Union of the satellite Sputnik. Later in the year this of the transistor. This small component for is followed by Sputnik 2, which for the first time sends a The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum with amplifying electronic signals becomes the living being into space – though Laika the space dog (left) Expo 58, held in Brussels, is the first World Fair after World War II. With the Atomium building its iconic spiral form design by Frank Lloyd basis for modern information technology. does not survive the mission. as its landmark, it exhibits the new technology at an international event (left).