At the centre of the presentation stands a 19th-century Napoleon III mirror, transformed into a sculptural screen. Produced in collaboration with Load Gallery, the installation merges antique craftsmanship with contemporary technology, reimagining the mirror as a living digital surface. Equipped with motion capture technology and a concealed display, it reflects the visitor’s body but replaces their face with that of an auntie from the speculative Auntieverse. After a few seconds, the auntie delivers a familiar, blunt greeting, ranging from “Have you eaten?” to “You look so tired!”, reminding visitors how care often hides behind teasing honesty.

Motion tracking allows up to three figures to interact simultaneously, each auntie following the contours of the viewer’s movement while retaining her own distinct features and expression. Subtitles appear in English and French, bridging humour and cultural nuance.

The work draws upon art historical precedents from Jan van Eyck to Manet and Asian myths in which mirrors are said to reveal the soul. Here, the mirror becomes a living surface of empathy and critique, transforming a fleeting reflection into a surreal act of recognition. In the Auntieverse, a recurring saying by Niceaunties is that “there is an auntie in all of us,” reflecting the human nature of self-criticism and emotional complexity.

The mirror also playfully references fairy-tale stories such as the evil queen’s mirror in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Where the queen once demanded, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”, one of Niceaunties’ reflections might instead quip, “You la, you are the fattest of them all!” turning the mythology of vanity into an act of comic self-awareness.