Ugo Rondinone, Mechanism of time for Oracles II, 2008 © Ugo Rondinone & gallery Almine Rech, Paris – Brussels
First look
It is a hanging of 52 windows made from recycled barn wood painted in grey. They compose a vast rainbow of mirrors of various sizes, placed on the bleached pages of a local newspaper. They are as attractive as they are mysterious.
Second look
The title, “Mechanism of horology for Oracles”, is taken from a poem by Edmond Jabès, known for his meditations on exile. The work proposes us to slow down our pace and contemplate the nature of time, while inviting us to enjoy a joyful, playful and sensory moment.
Look at history
To see ourself in the work of the artist, and entering into his universe, through an encounter in a reflection that allows two times and two different spaces to meet: this is the successful challenge of the portrait of the spouses Arnolfini by Van Eyck, the first experiment which had a stunning posterity, from the Renaissance to the most contemporary works. The mirror reflecting the small group contemplating the scene opened a direct and unpublished communication.
Look at our society
In our daily race against time, too often leaving little room for reflection, let us pause for a “different look” on ourselves (the mirror effect, colorization), the world (the windows) and our time (newspaper clippings).