The visual and written parts of the project are thought to make up a narrative unity.
My plan is to create ten different mantles out of all the individual skins. Mantles, since it is a garment I think are loaded with symbols:
The wizards have their magic mantles, kings of days past wore mantles symbolizing their power, in fairytales there are mantles which can make their carrier invisible, Superman has a mantle as part of the costume meant to show his strength, physical invulnerability and superhuman powers just to name a few things.
The purpose is that the mantles together with the written words and stories will give the viewer an experience of how we all have our potential vulnerability, but also the courage and power to protect ourselves, face the situation in front of us anyway and create something positive out of the vulnerability. I also believe the final work of art will show how unique we all are through different shapes the skins will have. Through sewing them together to a larger whole I hope to show how we all belong together and also that through realizing this fact we become stronger and more secure together. The words and the mantles will communicate with the viewer in different languages that will hopefully deepen each other and give the viewer both an intellectual as well as an emotional understanding.
The end product will (if all goes as planned) an exhibition where the mantles are shown hung up in the exhibition room in a way which enables the viewers to walk around them and see all the Symbolic Skins properly, and hopefully also to step inside at least some of the mantles. The written contributions will be shown on the walls surrounding the mantles. Those participants who have chosen not to have any personal data connected to their work of art will be presented (if possible) in some sort of completely anonymous way in order to give a notion about who has been joining, for example by showing a map showing which countries are represented, a span of age of the participants, or by telling how many men and women have joined.
My hope is for the exhibition to ambulate in a number of countries in the year 2013, and hopefully result in a book that amongst other things may present some of those who so wishes with their work of art. For example if you are an artist and want to show which Symbolic Skin is yours.
