The Hungarian city of Pécs has begun celebrating the 120th anniversary of Victor Vasarely's birth and the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Vasarely Museum.
The first exhibition of the jubilee year contains works by one of the greatest artists of op-art, or optical art, which are not included in the permanent exhibition and will not be on display later.
"There are two types of artworks. One is really elemental forms, variations of the same forms in colour and motif. The other, such as the Gord or Bach albums, is a collection of Vasarely's defining pictorial types from his different periods," said András Nagy, head of the Janus Pannonius Museum's Department of Fine and Applied Arts.
The Hungarian-French artist, born in Pécs, died in Paris in 1997. Throughout the year, other exhibitions will include works by his wife and son, and a show by contemporary artists who were inspired by Vasarely.
"Pierre Vasarely will also be our guest patron. There is also a very interesting exhibition of the artist's wife Claire Vasarely in May at the Museum Gallery. So Museum Street, Capitoline Street, will be full of Vasarely this year," said Emese Iványi, the museum's head of marketing and public relations.
Plastic Units and Codifiable Factures will be on display at the Modern Hungarian Gallery in Pécs until 22 March, Victor Vasarely's birthday.
The renewed 50-year-old Vasarely Museum will reopen on 9 April and its full programme for the season can be found here.
