Michelangelo Pistoletto made the first work in his series Black and Light in 2007. Each work in the series explores the relationship between the two titular elements, black and light, as well as themes that underpin the artist’s oeuvre more widely: the active dimension of time; the integral inclusion of the observer and the surroundings; the encounter of oppositional concepts such as static/dynamic and absolute/relative; and the complete obliteration of the sense of the picture surface being an illusory window onto the world – the mirror instead encapsulates infinity. This series is related to the subsequent series Color and Light, which the artist first developed in 2014.

In Black and Light, five separate elements are formed with interlocking sections of black and white mirror, enclosed in a gilded wood frame. The alternation between reflection and partial absorption across the different mirrors explore the balance between light and dark, reflectivity and absorption, subject and object. The hand-cut shapes of the mirror exist both as discrete elements, but also cohere across the five pieces to unite into a seamless, lyrical abstract shape, juxtaposing the sections of light and dark. The carefully moulded giltwood frame alludes to how paintings over time have always been conventionally presented.

With the five elements together measuring over 6 metres in width, this work creates a captivating experience, allowing the viewer to be wholly consumed by reflections and the shifting relationships between the viewer, the artwork, and the surrounding environment