Mirror no. 34, 2023

Through the use of diverse languages - performance, installation, sculpture, sound, and video - Silvia Giambrone’s work (b. 1981) explores the politics and practices of the body, with particular attention to the most hidden forms of subjugation. Her research investigates the political dimension of intimacy, seen as the ground where the deepest and most mysterious forces of the individual take root. The domestic space, seemingly safe, transforms into a context of learning and internalizing violence. Mirror no. 34 is a mirror covered by a thick layer of wax and resin, from which acacia thorns emerge. The surface, visually fragile yet simultaneously threatening, denies the pleasure of seeing one’s reflection, replacing it with an image that demands reflection on pain and vulnerability. The artwork addresses themes related to identity, perception, and the conflict between the self and the external world, placing nature, culture, and the personal dimension
in dialogue.