‘The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.’ –Albert Einstein
Magic Show, a newly published catalogue to accompany a travelling exhibition of the same name, explores the relationship between art and magic. (…)
Many of the 24 contemporary artists featured (in both the show and the book) borrow directly from iconic magic tricks. Sinta Werner’s “Disjunction” plays on the idea of a disappearing act, but in this case it is the viewer who vanishes; the site-specific installation creates the effect of approaching a mirror without a reflection. Susan Hiller’s “Homage to Yves Klein” is a more upbeat take on his rather dark photo-montage, “Leap into the Void” (1960). The result is a charming play on the trick of levitation.
In other works, artists challenge the viewer’s ability to suspend disbelief—a crucial requirement of magic-show audiences.
related { In the Zig-Zag illusion, a magician divides his or her assistant into thirds }
