fbpx Michelangelo Pistoletto, Three Mirrors | CIRCA 20:26
Back to artist

CIRCA 20:26

Michelangelo Pistoletto, Three Mirrors

1 April - 30 June, 2026

Michelangelo Pistoletto once described his Mirror Paintings as openings rather than images, surfaces that do not contain the world but allow it to enter. In Three Mirrors (2026), created in collaboration with CIRCA, that idea moves fully into the public realm, where the work is no longer confined to a studio or gallery but unfolds across cities, screens and shared time.

Launching globally on 1 April and broadcast daily at 20:26 (local time), Three Mirrors is a new moving image commission filmed at Cittadellarte in Biella, the foundation Pistoletto established as a space for thinking through art’s role in society. Here, at the age of 92, he returns to the mirror once again, drawing directly onto its surface, not to produce a static image but to set a sequence of ideas in motion.

The work unfolds as a triptych: Third Paradise, Formula of Creation and Statodellarte. Each begins with a simple gesture, a mark made on mirrored steel, yet each opens outward into something larger. What emerges is not a narrative in the traditional sense but a progression of thought, moving from symbol to relationship to civic life.

In Third Paradise, the familiar infinity sign is interrupted and reconfigured. A third space appears between two opposing forces, suggesting not conflict but the possibility of balance. In Formula of Creation, this idea becomes relational: 1+1=3, where the meeting of “I” and “You” produces “We.” By the time we arrive at Statodellarte, the logic has shifted into the public sphere, where creativity is no longer an individual act but a shared condition, inseparable from responsibility.

Presented across some of the world’s most visible public screens, these works do not ask to be contemplated from a distance. They meet viewers where they already are, in the flow of the city, folding art into the rhythms of everyday life. The mirror reflects not only the image but the moment itself, drawing in passing bodies, changing light, and the quiet accumulation of time. Each broadcast becomes slightly different, shaped by the place in which it appears and the people who encounter it.

First conceived in 2003, The Third Paradise was Pistoletto’s proposal for a new equilibrium between nature and artificiality, a way of thinking about the future as something collectively constructed rather than passively received. In Three Mirrors, that proposition feels newly urgent. The work does not look back. It insists on the present, and on what might still be made within it.

As Pistoletto writes, the image is no longer closed within the artwork. It opens itself to reality. Here, that opening becomes shared. The city enters the work, and the work, in turn, asks something of the city: attention, participation, and a recognition that peace, like art, is not given but produced.

Shop

Loading variants...

Films

Michelangelo Pistoletto’s Three Mirrors is presented daily across CIRCA’s global network of public screens. Each evening at 20:26 (local time), the work appears simultaneously across the following locations, entering the flow of the city and inviting a shared moment of reflection. Select a location below to view directions and find your nearest screen on Google Maps.

Play Pause

London

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 BST/GMT

Address: Piccadilly Circus, London W1J 9HS, UK

Nearest Tube Station: Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly and Bakerloo lines)

Bus Routes: 6, 14, 19, 38, 139, 159

Directions: Exit Piccadilly Circus Station and the screen is directly above Boots.

With thanks to Landsec

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Hong Kong

Screening: Every evening (17 April–30 June) at 20:26 HKT

Address: 555 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Nearest MTR Station: Causeway Bay Station (Island Line) Exit D

Bus Routes: 2A, 2X, 5B, 5X, 8, 10, 19, 23, 25A, 38, 42, 72, 72A, 77, 96, 592

Directions: Exit Causeway Bay Station at Exit D; SOGO Department Store is directly ahead with the screen mounted on its exterior.

With thanks to SOGO HK

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Los Angeles

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 PDT

Address: Standard Vision, 900 W Olympic Boulevard 

Nearest Station: Pico Station (A & E Lines) or 7th Street / Metro Center (B, D, A, E Lines)

Bus Routes: 28, 728, 30, 330, DASH Downtown routes

Directions: Exit Pico Station and walk northwest along Olympic Blvd for approx. 8 minutes toward L.A. LIVE (JW Marriot tower visible)

With thanks to Standard Vision

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Milan

Screening: Launch only (24 April) at 20:26 CET

Address: Piazza del Duomo, 20122 Milan, Italy

Nearest Station: Duomo station Milan Metro (M1 Red Line, M3 Yellow Line)

Bus Routes: 54, 60, 65, 73

Directions: Exit Duomo Station directly into Piazza del Duomo; the screen is on the side of Duomo di Milano facing H&M and Tiffany & Co.

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Milan

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Piazza del Duomo (fronte Palazzo Reale), 20122 Milan, Italy

Nearest Station: Duomo station Milan Metro (M1 Red Line, M3 Yellow Line)

Bus Routes: 54, 60, 65, 73

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Milan

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Corso Como 6, 20154 Milan, Italy

Nearest Station: Garibaldi FS station Milan Metro (M2 Green Line, M5 Purple Line)

Bus Routes: 43, 94, 70

Directions: Exit Garibaldi FS Station and walk south toward Corso Como; the screen is located along Corso Como near the entrance to the pedestrian street

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Milan

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II / Galleria del Corso 2, 20122 Milan, Italy

Nearest Station: San Babila station Milan Metro (M1 Red Line) / Duomo station Milan Metro (M1, M3)

Bus Routes: 54, 60, 61, 73

Directions: Exit San Babila or Duomo Station and walk along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II; the screen is positioned at the intersection with Galleria del Corso

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Milan

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 51, 20143 Milan, Italy

Nearest Station: Porta Genova FS station Milan Metro

Bus Routes: 2, 9, 10 (tram), 74

Directions: Exit Porta Genova Station and walk along Ripa di Porta Ticinese toward the Navigli canals; the screen is located along the canal-side street

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Corso Vittorio Emanuele II / Largo di Torre Argentina, 00186 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: Colosseo station Rome Metro / Spagna station Rome Metro

Bus Routes: 30, 40, 46, 62, 64, 81, 87, 492

Directions: Walk to Largo di Torre Argentina; the screen is positioned along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II at the edge of the square

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Piazza Orazio Giustiniani, 4, 00153 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: Piramide station Rome Metro / Circo Massimo station Rome Metro

Bus Routes: 23, 44, 75, 280, 716

Directions: Walk to Piazza Orazio Giustiniani; the screen is located within the square near the surrounding buildings

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini, 00195 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: Lepanto station Rome Metro

Bus Routes: 23, 30, 70, 81, 87, 280, 913

Directions: Exit Lepanto Station and walk west toward Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini; the screen is positioned within the square

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Largo Giovanni Battista Marzi, 7, 00153 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: Piramide station Rome Metro / Circo Massimo station Rome Metro

Bus Routes: 23, 44, 75, 280, 716

Directions: Walk toward Mattatoio di Roma; the screen is positioned along the Lungotevere-facing side near the Mattatoio complex

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Piazza della Radio, 00146 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: Trastevere railway station

Bus Routes: H, 170, 781, 44, 75, tram 3, 8

Directions: The screen is positioned on the corner building at Piazza della Radio, a major junction connecting Trastevere with Marconi and Monteverde

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Via Gregorio VII, 141, 00165 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: San Pietro railway station / Valle Aurelia station Rome Metro

Bus Routes: 64, 98, 881, 916

Directions: Walk along Via Gregorio VII toward the Vatican; the screen is positioned along the roadside within the Vaticano Design District area

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Rome

Screening: Every evening (24 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Via Aurelia, 700, 00165 Rome, Italy

Nearest Station: Cornelia station Rome Metro / Baldo degli Ubaldi station Rome Metro

Bus Routes: 246, 247, 490, 892, 906

Directions: The screen is positioned along Via Aurelia, a major arterial road heading west from the Vatican

With thanks to Urban Vision Group

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Nigeria

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 WAT

Address: Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria

Nearest Transport: Murtala Muhammed International Airport (domestic terminal access)

Bus Routes: Airport shuttle services and Lagos BRT connections nearby

Directions: Enter MMA2 departures terminal; the screen is located within the main passenger concourse

With thanks to Alpha&Jam Africa

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Nigeria

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 WAT

Address: Airport Rd, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria (Alpha & Jam screen)

Nearest Transport: Murtala Muhammed International Airport (adjacent airport access)

Bus Routes: Airport shuttles, Lagos BRT corridors nearby, and local minibus taxis

Directions: The screen is positioned on the Alpha & Jam billboard along Airport Road in Ikeja, on the approach to the airport terminals

With thanks to Alpha&Jam Africa

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Ghana

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Cantonments Rd, Accra, Ghana (above China House Fast Food)

Nearest Transport: Major access via Cantonments Road (central Accra arterial)

Bus Routes: Trotro routes and local taxis serving Cantonments / Osu corridor

Directions: The screen is positioned directly above China House Fast Food on Cantonments Road in the Cantonments district

With thanks to Alpha&Jam Africa

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Côte d'Ivoire

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 CET

Address: Bd François Mitterrand, Rond Point face Cap Nord – Riviera 2, Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Nearest Transport: Major junction on Boulevard François Mitterrand (primary arterial road)

Bus Routes: SOTRA bus lines and shared taxis serving Riviera 2 / Cocody

Directions: The screen is located at the roundabout facing Cap Nord in Riviera 2, along Boulevard François Mitterrand

With thanks to Alpha&Jam Africa

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Johannesburg

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 SAST

Address: 218 Beyers Naudé Dr, Northcliff, Randburg, 2195, South Africa

Nearest Transport: Major arterial access via Beyers Naudé Drive (no nearby metro rail)

Bus Routes: Rea Vaya BRT (nearby corridors) and local minibus taxis

Directions: The screen is located along Beyers Naudé Drive; visible from the roadside within the Northcliff commercial area

With thanks to Alpha&Jam Africa

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Seoul

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 KST

Address: 513 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Nearest Subway Station: Samseong Station (Line 2) – Exit 5 or 6

Bus Routes: Blue Bus – 146, 341, 360, 333, 740; Green Bus – 2415, 3412, 3217

Directions: Use the underground passage from Samseong Station to enter COEX Mall; the screen is located near the main entrance.

With thanks to CJ Powercast

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Seoul

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 KST

Address: 501 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Suite 314)

Nearest Station: Samseong Station

Bus Routes: 146, 341, 360, 740, N13 (Teheran-ro corridor)

Directions: Exit Samseong Station (Exit 5 or 6) and walk east along Teheran-ro; the screen is located along the main boulevard near COEX

With thanks to CJ Powercast

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Seoul

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 KST

Address: 47, Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Jonggak Station Intersection)

Nearest Station: Jonggak Station

Bus Routes: 101, 150, 160, 260, 270, 271, 720

Directions: Exit Jonggak Station (Exit 4 or 5) directly onto Jong-ro; the screen is positioned at the main intersection above street level

With thanks to CJ Powercast

 

Plan your visit
Play Pause

Seoul

Screening: Every evening (1 April–30 June) at 20:26 KST

Address: 198, Eulji-ro, 2-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Nearest Station: Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station (Line 2) / Euljiro 3(sam)-ga Station (Lines 2 & 3)

Bus Routes: 100, 152, 202, 261, 472, 7011 (Eulji-ro corridor)

Directions: Exit Euljiro 1(il)-ga Station and walk east along Eulji-ro; the screen is positioned along the main boulevard near the intersection

With thanks to CJ Powercast

 

 

Plan your visit

INTERVIEW

In Conversation: Josef O’Connor with Michelangelo Pistoletto

There are some artists whose work belongs to history, and others whose work returns to the present with increasing force. Michelangelo Pistoletto is both. For more than six decades, he has asked art to do more than represent the world. He has asked it to enter the world, absorb it, implicate it, and ultimately help reorganise it. That proposition feels especially urgent now.

In 2026, as public life becomes increasingly shaped by screens, systems and escalating global tensions, CIRCA’s collaboration with Pistoletto does not arrive as a retrospective gesture, but as a necessary one. Three Mirrors is not simply a new commission. It is the result of a sustained dialogue between artist and curator, shaped across generations, between November 2025 and February 2026, at a moment when the world itself felt increasingly unstable, and made possible through the close collaboration and support of Pistoletto’s long-standing associate Francesco Saverio Teruzzi.

Filmed at Cittadellarte in Biella as a series of performative works created specifically for CIRCA, the project emerged through conversation. Not as a fixed idea imposed at the outset, but as something gradually formed through exchange. Questions around responsibility, coexistence and the role of art in a time of fragmentation became the substance of the work itself. That process matters. It positions Three Mirrors not as a static artwork, but as a living proposition addressed directly to the present.

For CIRCA, a platform built on transforming spaces of advertising into spaces for reflection, Pistoletto is a foundational figure. Long before contemporary image culture collapsed the distance between viewer and image, he understood the artwork as a site of participation. Long before the language of civic responsibility entered mainstream discourse, he asked what it means to be implicated in what one sees.

In Three Mirrors, these questions become newly charged. What follows is a conversation about art, responsibility, peace and the role of public imagination now.

READ

Biography

Michelangelo Pistoletto

Michelangelo Pistoletto is one of the most influential artists of the postwar era and a central figure in the development of contemporary art. Emerging in the early 1960s with his groundbreaking Mirror Paintings, Pistoletto transformed the relationship between artwork, viewer and environment by incorporating polished reflective surfaces that bring the present moment directly into the image. In doing so, he dissolved the boundary between art and life, establishing participation, responsibility and collective awareness as defining principles of his practice.

A leading protagonist of Arte Povera, the influential Italian movement that emerged during the late 1960s, Pistoletto expanded the possibilities of artistic practice beyond the studio and museum. Across more than six decades, he has consistently positioned art as an active force within society, creating works that connect creativity with education, politics, economics, spirituality and civic life. This vision found institutional form in 1998 with the establishment of Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte in Biella, a laboratory for social transformation dedicated to placing art in dialogue with every sphere of human activity.

Central to Pistoletto’s thinking is The Third Paradise, a symbol and philosophy introduced in 2003 that has become one of the most widely recognised artistic propositions of the twenty-first century. Represented by a reconfigured infinity sign, the symbol proposes a new balance between seemingly opposing forces: nature and artificiality, individual and collective, freedom and responsibility. At its centre lies a third space in which difference becomes a source of creation rather than conflict. Over the past two decades, The Third Paradise has evolved into a global participatory project engaging communities, institutions and governments in a shared reflection on how society might create a more sustainable and peaceful future.

In 2026, Pistoletto collaborated with CIRCA on a year-long global initiative dedicated to Preventive Peace, presented in partnership with Fondazione Pistoletto Cittadellarte and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Launching across CIRCA’s international network of screens, Three Mirrors (2026) brought together three new moving-image works: Third Paradise, Formula of Creation and Statodellarte. Filmed at Cittadellarte in Biella and curated by Josef O’Connor, the trilogy saw Pistoletto drawing directly onto large mirrored surfaces, transforming the screen into what he described as a shared space of awareness and responsibility.

Broadcast daily at 20:26 across London, Milan, Rome, Los Angeles, Accra, Abidjan, Lagos, Johannesburg, Hong Kong and Seoul, Three Mirrors functioned as a series of public lectures without walls, extending Pistoletto’s longstanding belief that art should address society directly rather than remain confined to traditional cultural institutions. The project culminated in a public gathering in Piazza del Duomo during Salone del Mobile, where participants assembled to recreate the symbol of the Third Paradise as a collective act of reflection and civic engagement.

The collaboration also introduced Preventive Peace Flags, a series of twelve mirrored editions that translated the central ideas of Three Mirrors into participatory objects. Through their reflective surfaces, the works extended the logic of the Mirror Paintings, incorporating viewers and their surroundings into an ongoing equation of shared responsibility.

Awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale in 2003, the Wolf Foundation Prize in Arts in 2007 and nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, Pistoletto remains one of the rare artists whose influence extends beyond contemporary art into wider conversations surrounding social transformation, education, citizenship and peace. Throughout his career, he has advanced a simple yet radical proposition: that creativity is not merely a cultural activity, but a civic responsibility capable of shaping the future of society itself.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscription successful

An error occurred

Subscribe to our newsletter

Subscription successful

An error occurred

Search