Have you ever dreamed of strolling across the sky? According to the Iranian artist, it is indeed possible! Mirror stairs in Florence, “drops” of mirrors in the desert – such an unusual approach to the study of human reactions has been chosen by Shirin Abedinirad. In this way, she explores the possibilities of human gender, sexuality, and compassion through mirror installation art, conceptual fashion designs, and performances. Among the artist’s most famous and unforgettable works are “Heaven on Earth” (Italy, 2014) and “Evocation” (Iran, 2013). These masterpieces represent unique mirror installations in the urban environment, as well as right in the middle of the desert. The mirrors reflect the sky and create different illusions depending on the weather that cause confusion and delight at the same time. Shirin Abedinirad works in Tehran and Florence, where the majority of her works are presented to the public.
Another amazing example of mirror installation art was exhibited in 2014 as part of one of Europe’s leading music festivals, Hungary’s Sziget Festival, which took place in Budapest on a forested island in the middle of the Danube River. Such an original installation called “Mirage Pavilion” is a wonderful creation of Studio Nomad composed of 1200 diamond-shaped mirrors. To create “an almost invisible object”, the team of artists arranged pieces of mirrors in a strict pattern, every single part of which reflected the sun’s rays and surrounding trees, thereby allowing the visitors to admire both the reflected and real forest. It’s interesting that for such a contemporary masterpiece, Studio Nomad selected rather simple materials and construction methods to demonstrate a kind of protest against the high-tech visual projections and installations used for other popular music festivals.
As for the most recent sample of mirror installation NYC art, it is still on view in Madison Square Park. We are talking about “Fata Morgana,” the major outdoor sculpture by Teresita Fernández, an internationally-renowned New York-based artist. It consists of 500 mirror-polished discs in six sections carved in the shape of the tree crown and placed horizontally right above the pathways creating a kind of a canopy. Such “foliage” reflects beautiful lawns of Madison Square Park, people and nature around, thus creating a colorful pattern and life movement in mirrors. This idea is aimed to make people look up. And what reason may be better than an attractive work of art? In this way, thanks to the efforts of Theresita Fernández, New Yorkers and guests of the city have a unique opportunity to admire the mirrored foliage strolling through the park. The installation presented with the support of the free, contemporary art program of Madison Square Park Conservancy will be on view until winter 2015-16.