PEEKING THROUGH PILAR ZETA’S ‘MIRROR GATE II’ IN PARIS

words by VERONICA TLAPANCO SZABÓ

Not many contemporary artists can claim their work has stood alongside the Pyramids of Giza… but Pilar Zeta can. Now, her creation Mirror Gate II returns to France for a Parisian debut on Tuesday, January 20th at none other than the Louvre! Mirror Gate II is the natural continuation of Zeta’s collaboration with Marmonil, from 2023. Crafted from Egyptian heritage stones, luminous yellow alabaster, red Aswan granite, and Breccia Fawakhir, the work is shaped to channel all the historical and spiritual resonance of these sacred materials. Standing before it, one can almost hear the desert winds, feel the weight of the colossal structure and sense the sheer artistry behind this portal of worlds.

images courtesy of PILAR ZETA

As a multidisciplinary artist working with large-scale sculpture and architecture Pilar Zeta finds herself turning to geometry, proportion, and symbolic form as equally important elements to construct her work. Through portals and doorways Zeta blends the material memory of the stones with post-industrial elements that we are accustomed to see in our everyday lives. Conveniently positioned at the entrance to the Louvre’s Egyptian collections Mirror Gate II aligns with yet another Pyramid I. M. Pei’s iconic glass pyramid, making it the ultimate meta pyramid alignment one could say.

Under the patronage of Egypt’s Ministry of Culture and with support from the Mairie de Paris Centre, the inauguration will be attended by H.E. Dr. Tarek M. Dahroug, Ambassador of Egypt to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, alongside Carla Arigoni and Christiane Abdalla, hosts of the event, a real lineup not to be missed! In case you do the exhibition will be running until the 17th of February!