Fear is one of humanity’s oldest impulses. As a survival mechanism for our species, it has allowed us to recognize danger, flee from it, or confront it. However, in contemporary societies—especially in the West—many of the physical threats that once shaped our existence have been subdued through systems of protection, security, and well‑being that soften immediate risk: whether real, perceived, or imagined.
In this context, fear does not disappear-it transforms. If the body is no longer in constant danger, what becomes strained is not only security -represented by domestic and border fences, bars, and enclosures- but also identity. A less visible but equally powerful fear emerges: the fear of anything that challenges what we believe ourselves to be. Nationality, race, ethnicity, gender, class, belonging-constructions that shape our position in the world and that, when confronted with “the other,” reveal their malleable or fragile nature.
This installation is part of a broader project that explores the physical and imaginary border that separates “us” from “them,” especially from populations coming from the global south. It invites us to reflect on how fear shifts from the physical to the symbolic sphere, and how art can become a space to recognize, challenge, and redefine the boundaries of our identity.
