On April 24, french artist and member of the Arte Povera movement, Michelangelo Pistoletto, debuted a very interesting piece of art. For the first time in its history, the Louvre allowed an artist to paint on the beautiful glass pyramid that lies outside of the museum, itself. This piece of art is part of a larger exhibit he has throughout the Louvre, called “Year 1: Heaven on Earth.” Other works include a mirror next to the Mona Lisa with the image of a tourist taking a picture on it, and a large amount of rags pushing back the famous Venus sculpture. This specific piece of art, to me, is the most important in terms of its inherent message. Pistoletto created large, 3-looped infinity sign out of mirrors on the glass pyramid. This image directly faces the French business district, La Defense. The purpose, Pistoletto says, is to tell politicians and businessmen that they must do something to get rid of the excess that has caused so much financial strife. There’s nothing wrong with the message, but could it have been done somewhere else? Or does the fact that it is on such an iconic part of the Louvre make it much more effective? The mirrors will be taken off, so it’s not like Pistoletto painted the glass pyramid. Do you think this was the right location for him to make his statement?
Anti-Capitalist Louvre Art
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