La Villa Calvi

In collaboration with Agence DS

Calvi, France

2023

For the exhibition "Réflexion Cristalline," Simon Berger has created his biggest sculptures using mirrors to date. Not only does the materiality of the works resonate with the title, but also evokes an intriguing connection to the sea surrounding the island of Corsica.  Much like the reflective qualities of water, these sculptures capture and project elements of their surroundings. However, Simon Berger's intervention is apparent in the disruption of the mirrors' otherwise smooth surfaces, achieved through breaking and bending the mirror to achieve the three-dimensional shaping. These deliberate imperfections result in the mirrors reflecting their surroundings in abstract fields of color, creating a moment of aesthetic dissonance. This deliberate act of disruption starkly contrasts the conventional function of mirrors, which is to faithfully reproduce the scenes they confront. The sculptures, thus, challenge the viewer to invest time in uncovering their visual impact, which is concealed within the fractures and indentations on the mirror's surface. Gradually, the motif of the skull emerges from this fractured reflection, symbolizing the passage of time, reminiscent of the ebb and flow of tides, and the natural changes that accompany it. Berger does not use this traditional vanitas-motif in the classical sense, symbolizing the transience of all earthly things, but rather wishes to remind his viewers that where change occurs, new opportunities arise. In this exploration of temporality and transformation, the mirror installation not only captures fragments of its environment but also serves as an interrogation of perceptual modes.