Popped into Simon Lee gallery yesterday to check out their latest exhibition from Michelangelo Pistoletto, Lavoro. Big fan of the artist’s work and was awfully excited.
Four of the Arte Povera artist’s ‘mirror’ paintings were on show, from a series focusing on the world of construction. It’s fitting that in highlighting the industrial process the artist should choose an industrial material and screenprinting, as his tools. Images of cranes, drills, safety cordons and workers are screenprinted on stainless steel polished to a perfect lustre evoking the signature mirrors that Pistoletto has used since the 60s.
“A Mirror Painting is a means to orientation in the world, of encouraging conscious experience of phenomena as experienced from the first person point of view, invoking perception, thought, memory, bodily awareness and social activity,” states the artist. “It is a work of art in the world and the world in a work of art.” Here the viewer becomes a part of the work. The reflection thrown back from these works is our own, and through this device we are invited to explore our link to the objects and people depicted in the works, and question our position in relation to what is seen.
It was a lovely moment of reflection (badaboom!) away from the madness of the streets below.
On until 1 October.
Michelangelo Pistoletto at Simon Lee Gallery
11 September – 1 October 2012
304, 3F Pedder Building
12 Pedder Street
Central, Hong Kong
hk@simonleegallery.com
post-ism 
One response to “Pistoletto at Simon Lee”
I feel Pistoletto’s’ mirror paintings (unlike some of his other work) are a one-off experience. Once you’ve seen them, even a few of them, and appreciated the novelty (though what novelty can there be since early 60s except some new materials and polishes?), you can’t enjoy the experience second time ) Don’t you think so?