Oggetti in meno – Souvenir, 1997

Michelangelo Pistoletto’s edition Oggetti in meno – Souvenir revisits seven works from his groundbreaking 1965–66 series Oggetti in meno (“Minus Objects”) by transferring photographs of the original pieces onto ceramic plates using the traditional daguerreotype process. Each image, rendered in delicate glaze, becomes both a visual record and a sculptural object, echoing Pistoletto’s conceptual inquiry into the nature of memory and representation. The original Oggetti in meno marked a pivotal moment in the artist’s career, challenging the idea of the artwork as a fixed form and instead emphasizing the viewer’s role and the relational nature of art. With references to everyday objects and domestic spaces – beds, mirrors, furniture – Pistoletto blurred the boundaries between art and life. By turning these works into collectible “souvenirs,” he both commemorates and transforms them, inviting reflection on how art is remembered, preserved, and re-encountered.