Double billing is something we have seen more traditionally across the performing arts – especially in dance and music performance – a marketing strategy where different artists, or events, are given equal footing. It is a trend that we are also seeing today in the visual arts, used to add a fresh tone to the old, or extend a nuance or connection.
A good example of this model was National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) International’s 2018 exhibition, Escher x Nendo: Between two worlds, which paired the Tokyo/Milan-based design studio Nendo, with the early 20th century Dutch graphic artist MC Escher. The Gallery is doing it again with its 2023 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition, Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi.
