Eyes, Lies and Illusions

Light And Shadow, Reflection, Colour And Motion – these are the primary elements of visual art. Shadow play, tricks of perspective, anamorphoses, magic lanterns and pre-cinematic animation have fascinated artists and craftsmen throughout the centuries and continue to inspire and stimulate the imagination to this day. Eyes, Lies and Illusions explores this world of perceptual paradox through the astonishing collection of the German experimental filmmaker, Werner Nekes, and the work of contemporary artists including Christian Boitanski, Carsten Holler, Tony Oursler and Markus Raetz.

Eyes, Lies and Illusions includes full-colour reproductions illustrating a vast range of intriguing optical media and artworks from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries – manuscripts, prints and books, optical devices and experiments, early cameras, games and toys.