Glas-Spiegel-Verformung 1973

Curator: Here we have "Glas-Spiegel-Verformung," which translates to "Glass-Mirror-Deformation," a sculpture crafted by Victor Bonato in 1973. The piece utilizes glass and metal. Editor: Well, it's certainly minimal! My initial thought is how severely the mirrored glass disrupts the surrounding space through reflection. It's disorienting, yet simple in form. Curator: The simplicity is key. Bonato's work, aligning with both Conceptual Art and Minimalism, directly confronted the prevailing art establishment's values in the early 70s. Editor: I see the steel frame creates a definite border, a precise grid. This juxtaposition of hard metal and malleable reflections presents an interesting dynamic between structure and illusion. It feels stark. Curator: Exactly. He critiques consumerist culture and societal values, presenting this deformation as a quiet protest. It was a deliberate statement, challenging art's expected functionality. How might art instigate social change through its very being? Editor: I notice how the mirror pulls in and distorts its environment. It turns the gallery space into an unstable canvas and the viewers into both audience and element, implicating us within his artwork. It’s not only conceptual, but phenomenological. Curator: Precisely, the mirror as a tool. This work asks us to contemplate what role mirrors might play in power structures: reflecting back ideals while twisting perceptions. It offers not just a view but an actively manipulated view of reality. Editor: Indeed. Considering his chosen material, Bonato presents reflections, visually, structurally, and intellectually. After looking for a while, the way light and shadow move across its surface has captured my attention; there's complexity hidden in the subtle details, almost as if it is living and always changing with time. Curator: His art became a commentary embedded in glass, a powerful and silent observer of society. I hope our conversation helps to illuminate these dimensions of Bonato's practice. Editor: I leave with a stronger appreciation of the artist’s thoughtful and rebellious commentary, expertly using common material to reveal so much complexity within a form that appears to be very simple at first.