Sign
The work Sign presents a mirror framed in wood hanging on a white wall. Its surface reflects a pile of objects in a studio with a window at the back. This production makes use of Alicja Kwade’s favoured materials—glass, wood, and metal. The mirror photographed in this way sees its original function transformed. More than a reflection of the composition, it acts as a frame into which a painting has been inserted. Its isolated position on the white wall accentuates this illusion by referencing the hanging of paintings in museums, a presentation that disorients the audience’s gaze. Sign thus preserves a great mystery characteristic of Alicja Kwade’s work and her interest in aporias (from the ancient Greek aporos, meaning “without passage”), those philosophical or scientific theories to which it is absolutely impossible to provide an answer.
Text written by Audrey Pellerin as part of the partnership between the École du Louvre and Lafayette Anticipations – Fonds de dotation Famille Moulin.