Art mirrors life at Lucerne exhibition

One of the "mirror art" exhibits being installed in Lucerne. Keystone

Lucerne's new art museum is staging a major exhibition of works by Michelangelo Pistoletto, an Italian "mirror artist", who in the 1960s founded the Arte Povera movement.

Arte Povera literally means “poor art”, but only in the sense that the artist makes sculptures and installations from everyday, often scavenged, materials.

For example, Pistoletto has used painted cardboard wrapped in canvas to create seemingly heavy sculptures which look like huge rocks.

But for many the most eye-catching exhibits are those which explore the reflective qualities of highly polished steel and glass mirrors.

Pistoletto uses mirrors as a space in which reality, imagery and reflection merge. The mirrors are pasted over with photographs of people, and become pictures which include the viewer – who not only sees the picture in front of him, but also the room reflected in the mirror behind him.

One installation in the Lucerne exhibition – “Divisione e moltiplicazione dello specchio” – consists of two mirrors placed at such an angle that a visitor who looks into them sees him or herself endlessly reflected.

swissinfo with agencies