Not so Fragile associates an exhibition and a card game to move the needle on the question of personal power. An audacious artistic proposition to provoke deep interactions in public spaces around personal identity, belonging, and our felt sense of strength… and powerlessness.
“To feel vulnerable is to feel unable to share your story”
“To feel strong is not to hide behind codes”
Innovation is conventionally associated to strength.
Yet we we believe that humans innovate based on their fragility. It is the passage from a state of perceived fragility to a state of perceived strength that enables new perspectives.
Not So Fragile is an artistic proposition using image and text to bring that specific conversation of fragility to the table.
The 12 portraits of Not So Fragile are archetypes of the fleeting moments when either our fragility or our strength emerges.
They speak of introversion, of exuberance, of passion for a profession, of loss, of emotional security, of the pressure of appearing strong, and of our deep need to connect with one another on a safe footing.
The 12 people portrayed are refugees and migrants. The words associated with their portraits are not their own: they are a poetic proposition on a theme inspired by each of them.
These words do not exist to tell their story, they exist to make us think boldly and lightly of that dark place we usually keep to ourselves. The thin line we walk every day between strength and fragility in our relationship with others.
Together, the 12 portraits form the words Not So Fragile.
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Why Not So Fragile?
There is no time like the present to talk about fragility.
Our world has been turned upside down by a series of shocks to our established systems.
New conversations are taking place about gender, race and age.
New identities are emerging. Traditional figures of authority are challenged, sometimes violently.
Fragility is a shared feeling.
We need to rethink traditional definitions of fragility, so that we can welcome strength where it truly emerges. Innovation does not emerge from those we consider strong. Innovation emerges from a space within each one of us. This is a space we can act from. It is a space where we can be both fragile, and strong.
Not So Fragile premièred as an exhibition in Paris in October 2020 at the emblematic Maison des Métallos in Paris and has since toured in different countries.
Specs
Format
12 prints each including visual art, poetry and quotes. Different formats available depending on the venue.
Followed by a card game for people to play in small groups.
Up to 100 participants.
Equipment needed
Room + Hanging system
Not So Fragile deck of cards
Stools or small tables to lay the cards
Bell, gong or other sound device for facilitation
Timing
A session of 1h’ is ideal: 20’ exhibition time, 30’ for the game + transitions.
