HE NGV EXHIBITION (until 8 October) is a case study in colour. Bonnard is one of the 20th century’s most beloved painters, a master”, an art technique (that literally translates to ‘placement in abyss’) in which a copy of an artwork is placed within itself. Mahdavi ensconces the viewer in Bonnard’s world with evocative wallpaper “directly inspired by the interior spaces in Bonnard’s paintings”. The effect is as if standing between two mirrors, a sensation enhanced by openings in the walls that seem like windows into vivid realms beyond – much like the windows depicted in Bonnard’s works. “As the visitors start to interact,” says Mahdavi, “these points of view suddenly become alive and echo the scenes depicted on the walls.”
