FRAGILITY
Sara Shahak
Israel

Between a glass bell and an iron pendant, a material tension arises that embodies fragility as an existential condition. The glass bell, functioning as a greenhouse, seeks to protect and preserve, yet it exposes the limits of protection and the vulnerability inherent in the very act of preservation.
The pendant, made of iron sourced from industrial bells, creates an unexpected encounter between two worlds of the “bell”, glass versus metal.
Its thorny structure projects strength and inaccessibility, yet the slow rusting reveals its hidden vulnerability. This contrast raises a question: does strength truly signify endurance, or is it merely a thin shell concealing fear and exposure? And what are thorns in nature, if not a survival mechanisms that conceal softness within?
Strength falters, and the paradox becomes clear: the guarding vessel is delicate and fragile, while the pendant appears tough yet is in a stage of weakening. This reveals a shared truth that the impulse to protect, to preserve, and the need to build a wall of thorns, is itself a testament to the fear of breaking and to the deep recognition that fracture may occur.

Necklace « I am hiding », 2025
170X170X170 mm / 930 gr
Readymade Glass bell, Iron, Brass, 12K Gold-filled chain, miniature Glass balls, Glass paints, Rust
Sowing, cutting, melting, shaping, soldering, painting, gluing, polishing, rusting
Photo : Shlomi Bernthal

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