Of all the ground-breaking art movements of the 1950s and 60s, Op Art has received the least amount of attention to date. It has often been discounted as too spectacular and showy and therefore not very profound. This is a misconception – this art sharpens our awareness of the ambiguity of appearances and illustrates the impossibility of grasping ‘reality’.

Vertigo. Op Art and a History of Deception 1520–1970 presents a deceptive game of the senses, unfurling a whole panorama of artistic works that confound the senses, ranging from panel paintings, reliefs and (kinetic) objects to installations and experiential spaces, to film and computer-generated or computer-controlled art.