Kiruna-2 1952 - 1962

Editor: We're looking at Victor Vasarely's "Kiruna-2", created between 1952 and 1962 using acrylic paint. It’s black and white, mostly geometric shapes and it looks kind of… dizzying. What do you see in this piece, beyond the obvious Op Art elements? Curator: Dizzying is the perfect word! It’s a trip, isn't it? To me, "Kiruna-2" is less about the pure optical illusion, and more about a dance. A dance between control and chaos, black and white, positive and negative space. Vasarely is like a choreographer here, setting up a very rigid system of squares, circles, and lines, but then allowing them to interact in surprising, almost random-seeming ways. Editor: A dance...I like that. It definitely has more movement than I initially realized. Does the title offer a clue? Kiruna is a city in Sweden, right? Curator: Precisely! Kiruna is a city built on mining. Perhaps Vasarely saw some echo of that constructed environment in his work? These forms might evoke the architecture of the city, the way the landscape is divided and reshaped. Or perhaps, knowing Vasarely’s interest in science, it represents molecules or matter as much as place. It makes you wonder doesn't it? Editor: It does. I see what you mean about it not being purely Op Art. The title pushes it beyond the visual trickery into something more meaningful. Curator: Absolutely. He teases our eyes, but also asks us to engage our minds. It's a conversation, an interaction, not just a visual puzzle. He wants you to reflect on your sense of perception but also about human mark on the planet. Editor: It’s funny, I came in thinking this was a straightforward piece, but now it feels much more layered. Curator: That’s the beauty of art, isn't it? It's rarely ever as straightforward as it seems. And this conversation with you just deepened that notion for me! Editor: Agreed! Thanks, that was great.