Michelangelo Pistoletto talks to Carlos Basualdo 6 June 2009 Venice Biennale

Carlos Basualdo curator of the Philadelphia Museum of Art talks to Michelangelo Pistoletto (occasionally in Italian).

Mirrors are core to Michelangelo Pistoletto's work. Since the 60's, he used them as reflective surfaces that gave the possibility to reflect the idea of infinity and unreality. The Mirrors exposed for the Biennale were broken by the artist during a performance and are not reflecting anymore.

A mirror in itself represents anything. But then the artist felt the need of offering to the mirrors something to reflect. He divided the mirrors in two parts, reflecting themselves mutually, and he obtained a infinite multiplication. Acting a division (real / virtual) he was actually aiming to duplicate and share. (as in Italian Dividere per Condividere)

Pistoletto also discussed his work when he was printing his selfportrait on mirrors' surfaces. That was not focused just on the multiplication and contemplation of the reflection but was achieving a democratic spirit because everybody could finally see mirrored their own image.

Pistoletto is related to Arte Povera group (born as a totally opposite response to Pop Art in USA and as group starting from the reduction to the essential) and to his own experience in Città dell'Arte located in Biella.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• arte
• povera
• venice
• international
• exhibition
• michelangelo
• pistoletto