MIRROR VOID

A Threshold Between Reflection and Matter

MIRROR VOID is an audiovisual prologue to an exhibition exploring the relationship between design and craftsmanship during Krosno Design Festival 2025. The installation opened the immersive part of the exhibition, introducing the viewer into a space suspended between reflection, sound, metal, and illusion. It was an invitation to enter a world in which the object is not merely a form to be looked at, but a source of vibrations, tensions, and the hidden energy of matter.

At the centre of the work were two monumental mirrors by Oskar Zięta, made of inflated, chrome-plated steel. Their cool, gleaming surfaces became the starting point for an experience in which the boundary between image and matter began to blur. Reflection ceased to be only an image, while metal revealed its acoustic, physical presence.

Mirrors as Instruments

The installation consisted of two complementary parts. In the first, viewers experienced an audiovisual composition built around Zięta’s mirrors. The objects were treated as large-scale resonators - their surfaces began to function as sources of sound.

The composition was based on samples recorded directly from the same mirrors: hits, taps, rubbing, and subtle resonances of metal. The sounds formed a rhythmic structure, creating the impression that invisible figures were playing the objects live. Each sonic gesture was accompanied by short light sequences displayed on panels placed in the corners of the room.

In this way, the mirrors ceased to be purely visual objects. They became instruments, carriers of vibration, and spatial sources of experience. The installation allowed the viewer to encounter the material not only through sight, but also through hearing and the body - through rhythm, resonance, and vibration.

The Sound of Metal, Air, and Form

MIRROR VOID was a sensory introduction to the work of Oskar Zięta and his distinctive practice with metal, air, and form. Inflated steel, usually perceived through its shine, shape, and technological precision, was activated here as an acoustic material. Its surface not only reflected light, but also carried sound.

As a result, the project shifted attention from the finished object to the process, from visible form to the physical properties of the material. Metal became something alive: resonating, vibrating, responding to gesture and touch.

Holographic Prologue

The second part of the installation was a holographic prologue created through rear projection on glass with variable transparency. After the audiovisual sequence ended, a virtual Oskar Zięta appeared on the screen, speaking about his practice and the objects on display.

At the end of the lecture, the screen disappeared in an instant, becoming transparent and revealing the collection of real works behind it - a series of stools made from inflated steel.

MIRROR VOID therefore functioned as a passage between experience and exhibition, between the abstract sensing of material and a direct encounter with design objects. The installation introduced the viewer to Zięta’s world through sound, light, and illusion before revealing the physical objects behind the story.