«We are fragile creatures, constantly exposed to the risk of limits. We walk on tiptoes over mirrors that shatter under the weight of our steps. […] We move, unstable, within a transient horizon that offers no escape.« These are the words of Alessandro Michele that opened the much-anticipated fashion show marking his return—this time at the helm of Valentino. But today, we’re not here to talk about the fashion show. What caught our attention while watching Pavillon des Folie was an installation that perfectly captures the essence of Michele’s words above. Specifically, Passi by Alfredo Pirri, on which the models walked, presenting the new Valentino vision according to Alessandro Michele. Let’s explore what this installation is and who the artist behind it is.
We had already seen it on Instagram, accompanied by a caption explaining the work: “In this uninhabited space, where time is suspended, the floor is distinguished by meandering mirrors, cracked and glinting—a work entitled Passi by the artist Alfredo Pirri. Their continual fragmentation invites us to reflect on our perception of reality.” This is not so much a unique installation as a project that manages to inhabit different places, adapting and reinterpreting spaces by both fragmenting and illuminating them.
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Michele’s Pavillon des Folies came to life on this piece—surrounded by furniture covered in white sheets, as in a house abandoned for years—and only in this way did it seem possible to breathe new life into the maison.
Alfredo Pirri and His Mirrors
Born in 1957, Alfredo Pirri has roots in Cosenza but today lives and works in Rome. Over the course of his career, he has worked on painting, sculpture, architecture, and installation. His journey began in the 1980s with his first solo exhibitions, leading to large public works such as the restoration of the Kursaal Theatre in Bari and the Maggio Fiorentino Theatre in Florence. Along the way, he also participated in the 1988 Venice Biennale and contributed to the group exhibition Minimalia: An Italian Vision in 20th Century Art at MoMA PS1 in New York, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva.
Passi in particular is like a magical, walkable mirror—a gigantic floor where life unfolds. Pirri’s intention is to encourage the audience—specifically the fashion crowd in the case of Pavillon des Folies—to reflect on the relationship between fragmentation and wholeness, between ourselves and others. We approach the realm of performance when we hear someone walking on this magical surface, where the double becomes a symbol, and anyone walking across the piece is ready to transform their perception of self and of community as we know it. Here (from minute 1:33), you can also see the technique the artist used in Rome in 2018 at Palazzo Altemps, in another version of Passi.
What we are sure of, aside from the fascination this work exerts on us, is that the use of this installation proves how Alessandro Michele never comes across as superficial. He defies superstition as well. Now, all that remains is to see which other artists will follow Michele in this adventure with the Valentino maison, just as they did with Gucci.
