Exhibition "Escher: How to Make the Infinite" Announced: Opens Summer 2027 at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO, with National Tour
The exhibition "Escher: How to Make the Infinite" featuring M.C. Escher will run from July 2 to September 26, 2027, at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO, then tour nationwide.Summary
The exhibition "Escher: How to Make the Infinite" tracing the creative journey of Maurits Cornelis Escher (M.C. Escher), the Dutch printmaker and graphic artist who defined the 20th century, will be held at CREATIVE MUSEUM TOKYO from July 2 to September 26, 2027. The exhibition will display approximately 200 works, including masterpieces, from the vast collection of the M.C. Escher Foundation. It introduces representative themes that characterize Escher's work, such as geometric repetitive patterns in woodcuts and lithographs, optical illusions, impossible architecture, and image transformation. The venue will trace the evolution of his creation, from early works to landscapes and architecture drawn during his stay in Italy, to "plane-filling" patterns inspired by the decorative motifs of Spain's Alhambra Palace. Furthermore, works such as "Infinity" and "Impossible Space," born from his interest in mathematics and geometry, will also be presented. The exhibition unravels Escher's expression—a fusion of outstanding printmaking technique and intellectual curiosity—by focusing not only on the works but also on the sources of his thought. Escher was born in the Netherlands in 1898 and studied at the School of Architecture, Decorative Arts, and Crafts in Haarlem. Encouraged by his teacher Samuel Jessurun de Mesquita, he pursued printmaking, and stayed in Italy from the 1920s to the 1930s. While drawing landscapes and architecture, he visited the Alhambra Palace in Spain and was strongly inspired by its decorative patterns. Especially after his revisit in 1936, he developed plane-filling expressions, incorporating interests in mathematics and geometry, and built his unique world of works. Even after his death at 73 in 1972, his works continue to influence a wide range of fields including mathematics, architecture, and design, not only art. After the Tokyo exhibition, it will tour to the Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Osaka from October 9 to December 8. In 2028, exhibitions are also planned in Nagoya and Shizuoka.
(Source：Tokyo Art Beat)