Mazzali’s work is a triptych, made up of three works, Red, Black and White, and displayed in this order. “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear” - the title is a direct instruction for the viewer and shows the direction in which the artist is moving. The superimposition of the images creates unpredictable results and makes the viewer feel confused. The artist works on two levels, superimposing a physical space and a dreamlike space. The image is obtained using double exposure, with an image taken in the studio, and then taken again outside. Red, Black and White are the colours of the ampoules which depict the three main phases of the “Great Work”, the alchemical process of developing and transforming the material, aimed at creating the Philosopher’s Stone.
Mazzali’s work lingers on the transformation of elements which are still undivided, before being merged together. In the Red frame, a detailed shot of an amarena is superimposed over an image of the portico of San Luca. The White frame, with a detailed image of the Fabbri jar, reflects Bologna’s Two Towers.
Lastly, in the Black frame, the statue of Neptune is reflected in the amarenas floating in their sweet syrup. If we look closer we can see the amarenas, representing a dreamlike space, while from a distance we first catch sight of the physical monuments of the city. The work combines the tradition of a product which lives happily in our memory, and Bologna, a physical space where Fabbri’s production first began, and a city which the company still has close ties to.