FRAGILE, 2020

Crystal Glass
37 x 50 cm
realized by Alessandro Cuccato
Raiffeisen Landesbank Förderpreis

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The work "Fragile" shows a high holding power anchor of glass. By replacing the original material steel with a soft toned crystal glass AliPaloma takes away its solidity.
Two powerful arms emerge from the anchor crown, allowing the anchor to dig deep into the sea bed. 
The ability to attach itself to the holding ground gives the anchor its symbolical meaning: it represents stability and solidity, as well as hope.  The metaphor of the anchor is used in many areas such as in the financial sector.

 

The glass anchor unites the opposite poles stability and fragility. While having strong arms, the pink glass sugessts the threat and insecurity coming with human existence – especially with regard to "the second sex".In a risk society, writes Ulrich Beck, the consequences of modernization are natural disasters, the effects of climate change, migration crises, ongoing strains to the financial system and pandemics. ("World Risk Society", 1998)

 

In a crisis such as the current Covid-19-pandemic, our system reveals itself as a fragile anchor, that in the fist place can not hold marginalised groups. Among them are refugees at our external borders, the homeless, the elderly, the sick and women* of all groups and social status. In terms of gender, it is clear that women* in particular suffer more from the economic and social consequences of a crisis. At the same time, there is no doubt: the system is carried by women during the crisis.Despite its fragility, the anchor sculpture stands for the hope of breaking down prevailing power structures and re-forming socio-cultural norms.