Fragile Fort

The Fragile Fort is a spatial design that unfolds personal childhood memories and dreamscapes. By recapturing activities which I was sharing with my mother, such as stitching and gathering natural elements to readapt them into new forms, I gave shape to my present-day sanctuary.

While making Fragile Fort, I sought to reconnect with and redefine my sensitive play space, using this creative process as a form of self-care and as tool to familiarize myself with the new environment I moved to.

My journey of collecting natural elements, selecting colors and materials, and synthesizing the final piece has been a personal exploration of balance through play. The need for detailed treatment of the fragile materials and connections forced the time to slow down. As a result, every second was a moment of attention, observation and care.

A transformed piece of fabric encloses the collection of shells, rocks and flowers which were used to compose a weightless sculptural installation. The light dispels the fear of solitude and darkness by enlarging the hanging elements and creating a larger scale dance, transforming the fort into a magical theater of shadows.

The creation of Fragile Fort was an awaking reminder that we carry our play spaces within us wherever we go, ready to set them up, like portable nests, whenever the need arises.