Mirroring The I

Material: Scrap Metal, Steel

This installation titled ‘Mirroring the I’ draws reference from Jacques Lacan’s ‘Mirror Stage Hypothesis.’ Through the interplay of mirrors, Aarti Zaveri is expressing her thoughts on the futility of the actions we take in order to satisfy our ego (the imaginary other.)

The two mirrors refer to the different fragments of our identities. The reflection on the bottom alludes to the infantile stage of a newborn baby. At this stage we have not yet established a sense of ‘self identity.’ While, the mirror on the ceiling represents the formation of the ‘I.’ The rising strands intertwine into what may be called the construction of identity. This part of the installation represents the flow of the action from the self to the imaginary other.

The installation contemplates the mystery of out endeavors, it asks the question that, do we constantly need to feed our egos with actions that may or may not, in reality, be of any relevance to our needs?