The Fragility of Things

2019

 

The Fragility of Things alludes to hostility and survival during uncertain times. Inspired by Richard Mabey’s view of weeds as boundary breakers and stateless minorities, it reflects on life’s untidiness and resilience. Drawing on Marc Augé’s concept of ‘non-places’—transient spaces like wastelands, derelict sites, roadsides, and roundabouts, the installation highlights overlooked territories where life thrives on the fringes, disrupting our orderly maps.

 

Mabey’s idea of weeds as ‘undesirable outcasts’ becomes a metaphor for hostile cultural attitudes toward both nature and migration. Ultimately, The Fragility of Things recognises ecological imbalance and the trauma faced by displaced populations worldwide, urging reflection on survival and belonging in a rapidly changing world.

 

Exhibited at Uilleann, West Cork Arts Centre 2019