Mirror Banner

Public performance, June 2015, Tel Aviv, Israel. Metallized polyester. Camera: Dima Nof

The mirror does not reflect, it shows the reality that we cast into it. The result can bring a smile, and we will call it “a poetic action” if the intention is to flatter, or “a spectacle” if the intention is to denigrate. It can also hurt, then we will not know how to call it. Yesterday it hurt.

The world of festivals and exhibitions, where metaphors are subjects for mingling chats, provocations are not intended to provoke anyone to anything, and political declarations are mere signs of affiliation, is the safe world where the chance of unexpected consequences is close to zero. Outside, in the open, where content and meaning are created in real time, metaphors have tangible consequences that are not controlled by the “rules of the discourse”, and the unexpected is unavoidable. Yesterday the metaphor of the mirror worked, and the unavoidable realized.

In 1965 two paintings by Robert Irwin were vandalized by the public of the São Paulo biennale. These were the “dot paintings”: large white canvases covered with millions of tiny red and green dots. The paintings were cut with knives, stoned, dumped with coke. Abstract paintings were filled with content by the reality of the resistance to the military coup.

The content of an abstract work is naturally cast into it by the environment. Placing a mirror in front of Neve Sheahan neighborhood was a metaphoric, poetic action that turned political within a moment. The mirror turned black when the environment – and not the artist – demanded it.

Written on the day after the performance. Edited in September, 2019.

***

The Black Mirror Dialogue (transcribed from video)

black is good

black is good

don’t touch it

don’t touch it

black is good

black is good

what color

make it white color

don’t touch it

enough

don’t touch it

what is it

black is good

make it other color

don’t make it black color

don’t make it black color

why black

i’m black

so what

i’m black

but i don’t want black

this is not black

but what is this color

don’t touch me, don’t touch me, don’t touch me

this is black color

i don’t want black

make it white, that’s fine

but this is not black

that’s ok, that’s ok

black is not allowed

but this is not black

black is not allowed man

this is not black, man, look at it

man

is

black

this is black color

sir, go away, just go away

do you want to get arrested

no

so go away

there is a problem, problem

good evening sir, good evening

make him go away

guys, don’t address him

come aside with me

moment guys

stop provoking

step back

you too with the camera

what is the problem

not black color

ok what disturbs you

don’t want black

ok what disturbs you now

disturbs me

because

because i’m black

come aside with me

don’t make troubles

no hands

no

hands

with

the

police