Escher X nendo | Between Two Worlds is a groundbreaking exhibition that features the work of Dutch artist M. C. Escher in dialogue with the work of acclaimed Japanese design studio nendo.

Borrowing about 160 Escher prints and drawings from the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, the NGV engaged the nendo design studio in Tokyo and its Chief Designer and Founder, Oki Sato, not to design an exhibition around Escher, but to enter into a collaborative dialogue with the artist.

M. C. Escher (1898–1972) was a Dutch graphic artist who made some of the most iconic prints of the twentieth century. His early life was spent in Italy, where he travelled extensively, drawing from nature and perfecting his technique. Escher and his family left Italy in 1935 due to the rise of fascism. This marked a shift in focus for the artist, from the external world to his inner, imaginary world. From this point he used his refined skills to explore the mysterious and paradoxical nature of space, time and human perception. His tessellations, optical illusions, impossible inventions and representations of infinity are at once serious and playful, and continue to inspire audiences of all ages.

Nendo is a design studio founded in 2002 by Oki Sato, one of the world’s most well-known and prolific designers. Based in Tokyo and Milan, nendo (meaning ‘clay’ in Japanese) designs graphics, products, furniture, installations and interiors that seek to surprise people in subtle, intelligent and playful ways. At the heart of the studio’s vision is simplicity, curiosity and craftsmanship. Nendo has presented exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in New York; Centre Pompidou in Paris; the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; and the Design Museum Holon in Israel.