Into the mind of Sigmund Freud for his 160th birthday

2 Sep 2016 01:01 PM

Turner Prize winner Mark Wallinger has created a new installation to mark the Freud Museum’s 30th anniversary and the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sigmund Freud.

Housed in the famous psychoanalyst’s former house, ‘Self Reflection’ consists of a single, made-to-measure mirror covering the entire ceiling of Freud’s preserved study, which dates back to 1938.

The effect is a literal interpretation of the self-reflective practice of psychoanalysis. It’s also surreal, creating a dual image which is at once familiar, yet unsettling.

Viewers twist and turn their bodies upwards and backwards to view Freud’s study. They begin to see things ordinarily hidden from view: inside empty vases, the space between the couch and the wall, and of course we can see ourselves!

Artist Mark Wallinger sees his new artwork as having imaginative qualities: ‘The relative posture of the sitting analyst and the recumbent analysand are latent in Freud’s chair and the couch. We can easily imagine his patient’s self-reflection.’

Funded through the Arts Council’s Grants for the Arts programme, ‘Self Reflection’ is one of several artworks by Mark Wallinger on exhibition at the Freud Museum until 25th September, as well as a new permanent sculpture in the grounds of the Museum. Entry free.

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