Reflective Journey #2

No mirror ever became iron again;
No bread ever became the wheat in the stack.
No ripened grape ever became a sour fruit;
No mature fruit ever became premature fruit.
Mature yourself and be secure from a change for the worse;
Go, become the Light.

-Rumi

This immersive installation utilizes familiar architectural elements – doors and mirrors – to challenge the viewer’s perspective and illuminate the adaptability of the human spirit. Approaching from one direction, the audience encounters seven closed doors, evoking barriers, limitations, the sensation of being locked out or obstructed. However, viewing from the opposite position reveals an alignment of seven mirrored panels seamlessly reflecting images of nature – an open, unobstructed perspective brimming with beauty and light.

Mirrors have long served as symbols of self-reflection and understanding. Here, I utilize their transformative capacity to underscore humanity’s innate resilience. Just as one can shift their physical stance to alter the installation’s visual impact, so too can we adjust our outlook to uncover new possibilities where once we saw only constraints. The 13th century poet Rumi serves as inspiration for this piece. His verse suggests that an unrefined soul can polish itself to attain enlightenment, just as base metal smoothes into a reflective mirror. My installation echoes this sentiment regarding the boundless adaptability of our hearts and minds when we commit to enlightened understanding over calcified assumption. The doors represent rigidity; the mirrors suggest receptivity. And in the liminal space between, we discover the choice to transform our perspective resides within ourselves.