katrinSpranger
phantasmagoria-mirror-katrin-spranger.jpg

The Phantasmagoria Mirror

A memento mori for the modern gaze.

To see and not see is an intrinsic human ability—one that allows us to look away from deeper, often unsettling truths.

Phantasmagoria Mirror is a haunting sculptural object made from an antique wooden frame, reimagined as a portal into mortality. This two-sided ghost mirror reveals a holographic skull that appears when the viewer’s face aligns with it—floating above their reflection in a quiet, mystical confrontation with the self.

Part illusion, part artifact, the work invites a pause. It asks us to look beneath the surface—and forward to what we are destined to become.

 

Media/ Materials: Interactive Ghost Mirror, with two-sided mirror plate, copper, nickel, various organic plated materials, bones, acrylic paint, acrylic tray, tablet computer with software/app, power bank

The Phantasmagoria – Ghost Mirror

Art and Concept: Katrin Spranger

To see and not see is an intrinsic human ability—one that allows us to suppress deeper, often unsettling truths.

Made from an antique wooden frame, the haunting Phantasmagoria Mirror is a memento mori sculpture that plays with the notion of looking beneath the skin—and ahead to what we are destined to become.
When interacting with the two-sided ghost mirror, a human skull is projected from behind and appears as a hologram overlay, resulting in a mystical experience on the viewer’s own reflection.

The effect is enabled by a custom facial tracking augmented reality app running on an Android tablet. The app tracks the viewer’s face in real time and animates a 3D model of a skull, which is visible through the semi-transparent mirror surface.

Technical Realisation: Adam Zeloof  

Image by Simon B Armitt