The recording of the artist talk featuring Michelangelo Pistoletto in conversation with Prof. C. S. Venkiteswaran, moderated by curator Gražina Subelytė, was published yesterday on YouTube.

The talk, held and recorded behind closed doors in March 2026, is now made accessible to the public, offering an in-depth perspective on the exhibition Amphibian Aesthetics, curated by the same speakers and hosted at Ishara Art Foundation’s Ishara House in Kochi until 31 March 2026.

Presented as a public screening at Mehboob John Talkies in Fort Kochi and simultaneously streamed online, the artist talk expands the exhibition’s programme, contributing to the development of its theoretical and discursive framework.

Pistoletto’s works: the mirror as a relational space

At the centre of the conversation are the works The Free Space (Spazio Libero, 1976–2025) and Division and Multiplication of the Mirror (Divisione e moltiplicazione dello specchio, 2025), which mark the artist’s presence in the exhibition through a significant body of his more recent research.

These works employ the mirror as a real, physical material: large reflective surfaces installed within the exhibition space, capable of incorporating the surrounding environment, architecture, and above all the visitors reflected within them.

In The Free Space, the mirror opens up as a continuous threshold, a visual field without a fixed image that constantly changes depending on who moves through it. The work exists only in the encounter between the reflective surface and moving bodies, turning the viewer into an integral part of the piece.

In Division and Multiplication of the Mirror, this principle is further developed: the reflective surface is fragmented and multiplied, generating a proliferation of viewpoints. The image is no longer singular but splits and replicates itself, producing an unstable and plural perception of reality.

This participatory dimension resonates with the curatorial concept of Amphibian Aesthetics, which evokes a condition of crossing and coexistence between multiple levels—much like the mirror, which simultaneously holds together what is in front of it and what is reflected.

Kochi as a space of intersection

The exhibition, organised by Ishara Art Foundation and Aazhi Archives, brings together twelve international and Indian artists*, exploring the role of migration and maritime exchange in shaping contemporary societies.

Kochi, historically a crossroads of trade routes and cultural exchanges, becomes an ideal context for reflecting on global interconnectedness. Within this framework, Pistoletto’s work emerges as a practice capable of linking local dimensions with a universal vision, activating new readings of the present.

An intercultural reading of the works

Throughout the conversation, the works are approached as active relational devices: the mirror does not return a fixed image but engages the viewer, transforming each reflection into a shared experience.

The dialogue with Prof. C. S. Venkiteswaran situates this research within the cultural context of Kerala, where the mirror also carries symbolic and ritual meanings, while the moderation by Gražina Subelytė opens up a broader reflection on the exhibition’s “amphibian vision,” understood as the ability to inhabit multiple dimensions simultaneously.

A significant presence in South Asia

Pistoletto’s participation in Amphibian Aesthetics represents an important moment in the dissemination of his work in South Asia, marking one of his most significant exhibitions in the region.

Through the works presented in Kochi, the mirror is reaffirmed as a critical and poetic tool capable of connecting individuals, cultures, and visions of the future, opening up a shared dimension in which art becomes a space for encounter and transformation.

Notes

Prof. C. S. Venkiteswaran is a Kerala-based film critic, documentary filmmaker, curator, and translator who writes in English and Malayalam. Author of several books on cinema and media, he has contributed widely to journals and served on juries and curatorial teams at major film festivals across India.

Dr. Gražina Subelytė is the curator of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. She completed her PhD at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London and has authored numerous essays on modern and contemporary art, including studies exploring an “amphibian” view of the world.

*The artists featured in the exhibition Amphibian Aesthetics are: Appupen, CAAS Collective (Dr Susmita Mohanty, Rohini Devasher, Sue Fairburn and Barbara Imhof), Dima Srouji, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Midhun Mohan, Rami Farook, Ratheesh T, Shabnam Virmani Kabir, Shanvin Sixtous, Shilpa Gupta, White Balance, and Zahir Mirza.

For more information on the exhibition, please visit ishara.org or follow @isharaartfoundation on social media. The exhibition is hosted at Ishara House, Kashi Hallegua House, Jew Town Fort, Kochi – 682002.
Opening hours: daily, 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM.