Metrocubo d’Infinito — SCIENCE

The Metrocubo d’infinito (Cubic Meter of Infinity) is one of the Minus Objects, a group of works created by Pistoletto between 1965 and ’66. These works, each different from the other, give the impression of a group show. They therefore broke with the idea that an artist must be stylistically recognizable, as though they were a standardized trademark. This group of works is considered a groundbreaking moment of the Arte Povera movement, of which Pistoletto was one of the leaders and protagonists.

The Metrocubo d’infinito consists of a cube formed by six glasses with their reflecting surfaces facing inward, therefore “by adding the mirrors, the quantity inside the construction increases. When placing the last mirror, the specular inside becomes a cube and all visible images disappear. The object can only be seen from outside and it is only possible to communicate with the inside on an imaginative level. Any verification will modify the nature of the work.”

On various occasions, Pistoletto will destroy and rebuild the Metrocubo d’infinito in front of the public in order to highlight the conceptual nature of the work, which is not bound to the materiality of its components. In 2000, Pistoletto placed the work inside a new work, the Multireligious Place of Meditation and Prayer. Inside it, the Metrocubo d’infinito is arranged in a central round area divided into various sections, each occupied by the symbols of different religions or by the lack of belief.

MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO
Metrocubo d’infinito
1966
Mirrors and rope
47 1/4 x 47 1/4 x 47 1/4 inches (120 x 120 x 120 cm)