Mirrortest

Gottfried Bechtold

Mirrortest, 1973

Artwork text

The reflection of a television monitor with technical accessories, including a running tape recorder, is seen in a rectangular mirror. Bechtold approaches the surface of the mirror and writes the title of the video, Mirror Test, directly over the reflection of the television monitor screen. The calm freeze-frame shot of the technical equipment, which does not allow one to distinguish between reality and reflection, is increasingly disturbed by a monotone beating noise and begins to vibrate visibly. The vibrations increase in intensity. The deceptive image suddenly shatters into pieces. Bechtold appears in the picture with a hammer. Broken pieces of glass lie on the floor. (Doris Leutgeb)