Specchio 1968

Giovanni Anselmo made this, Specchio, with glass, cotton, and cord. The glass is a long, dark monolith, like a shadow standing upright, its surface smooth and reflective, if you could get close enough. What's interesting to me is the way Anselmo interrupts the hard surface of the glass with soft, puffy cotton. It cushions the top and bottom of the dark glass, a kind of protective embrace, which is simultaneously absurd. The cotton looks a bit like clouds – or maybe packing material? This contrast is a key gesture, a formal disruption that creates a sense of tension and uncertainty. I'm reminded of the work of Arte Povera artists like Jannis Kounellis, who also used humble materials to create poetic and evocative forms. Anselmo, like Kounellis, invites us to see the world in new and unexpected ways, embracing the beauty of imperfection and the power of simple gestures. It's like a visual haiku, short and sweet but full of possibilities.