UDEN FRYGT / WITHOUT FEAR



INSTALLATION AND IN SITU ACTION.
INSTALLATION: WOOD, PLYWOOD BOARDS, FABRIC SCRAPS, AND WHITE GLUE.
DIMENSIONS: APPROX. 240 X 380 X 80 CM
UNERUD, DENMARK.


2022


In her collection of essays, Judith Butler speaks of “fearless speech,” which for her—unlike for Foucault—consists of “speaking truthfully, assuming possible consequences, and expressing oneself despite being afraid.” Fearless speech thus becomes one of the mechanisms of transformative political action available to individuals, as well as to collectives capable of responding to urgent problems and contemporary forms of violence.

Butler argues that only by confronting the fears that lie at the root of many injustices, and by building networks of social interdependence, is it possible to achieve a life worth living.

The words “WITHOUT FEAR” (Uden frygt in Danish) are also central to my proposal, functioning as an act of political resistance. Political expression is not limited solely to verbal discourse; it can also manifest through gestures or movements. In this case, it is expressed through the (sculptural) act of constructing the letters themselves and, ultimately, through their burning.