kinetic mirror totem by edoardo dionea cicconi distorts medieval fort surroundings in italy

Edoardo Dionea Cicconi’s kinetic mirror at Rocca Calascio fort

Set against the mysterious Rocca Calascio fort in Abruzzo, Italy, the ‘Kinetic Mirror’ sculpture by Edoardo Dionea Cicconi emerges as a reflective totem amid the cinematic setting and its medieval architecture. The site-specific installation takes shape as a slender sculpture with a mirrored front surface that reflects its surroundings by distorting them. It is part of Dionea Cicconi’s ongoing XYZT series, which explores the relationship between landscape and ephemerality, and will be followed by a solo show in London at the CADOGAN gallery in June 2022. 

all images courtesy of Edoardo Dionea Cicconi 

mysterious, distorted reflections

The installation by Edoardo Dionea Cicconi (find more here) is perched right by the mountaintop castle of Rocca Calascio, one of the oldest standing forts in Italy. Set at a height of 1,460m (4,790ft), Kinetic Mirror presents itself as a slender vertical structure with a reflective metal cladding, generating a strong contrasting effect with the stone walls of the castle and the jagged mountainous surroundings.

Although the front surface of the piece is straight and sharp, it presents a peculiarity: it produces mysterious, distorted reflections of its surroundings, with the image flexing before returning to its initial appearance. The work moves along with the passers-by, capturing their image which appears pinched, disappears, and then appears again. Viewers expect to see their real selves but instead, they only see movement and distortion — it is an exciting as well as unsettling feeling. Like a sort of black hole, where everything becomes dense inside and where, even today, no one knows where this totality will end up. In this way, the work embraces the occult character of the location, becoming one with the landscape. 

Influenced by contemporary physics such as the work of Carlo Rovelli, Edoardo Dionea Cicconi’s pieces reflect on the concepts of space and time, establishing a dialogue between past, present, and future. The artist is devoted to choosing specific locations for his works, as he is always on the lookout for sites that can express his interest in science and metaphysics, as well as his unique creative vision. Edoardo has specially chosen Rocca’s castle as a site of magic. 

Kinetic Mirror will remain in situ for an undecided period, awaiting discovery by hikers and tourists to the castle. Dionea Cicconi hopes the sculpture can take on new mythology of its own, without the context of a gallery setting.