Free Hugs

Even the tiniest creature can make us feel vulnerable

Eight hairy legs, eight shiny eyes, and the empty spot on the wall that screams: ‘let’s just burn the house down, shall we?’. Few creatures are more frightening than the spider. I never feared them, though. Spiders are my innocent, useful friend that rid my house of villainous mosquitoes. Ah, the beginnings of a story, I smell. That’s me – a storyteller in heart, soul, art and education. I tell my stories with a pinch of humor, a dash of imagination and the secret ingredient: experience. Back to spiders. The spider shows that even the tiniest creature can make us feel vulnerable and fearful. Killing it is useless, as fighting or avoiding fear only makes it grow bigger. That’s why I try and find them recently. Embracing my fears helps me to grow and accept myself including my fears and vulnerabilities.

The spider: steel, textile and hugs

My mixed media installation consists of a giant, but anatomically correct spider. I wanted to make an artwork that would convince people to act in a way with spiders as they usually don’t. What don’t people do with spiders? Hug them, of course!

My concept for a giant spider was born: a mechanism that I built into the steel skeleton of the spider, enables it to hug the visitor whenever they dare to hug it first.

The spider had to be both approachable, pettable and scary. I therefor played with texture: cold smooth steel versus warm soft fabrics – pull and push.

Fear often begins in reality, but our imaginations make the fear grow to enormous size. The size of the spider is therefor no coincidence – the spider is as big as fear can make it. The only thing which shrinks fear is vulnerability and acceptance. My artwork invites all to take up the courage in the form of an embrace.

Will you dare it? come find out if this spider is sweeter than you thought.

The stories: folkore and conversation

With the spider I wrote a fictive legend and folklore of Aranea the spider, who received the gift of spinning. Aranea desired nothing more than the acceptance and love of the humans, with whom he shared the gift of making. The humans, however, never gave him the light of day. Aranea changes physically for the humans, to be of better service to them and to be accepted. However, with every change the humans grow more scared of him. The humans want to kill Aranea or flee from him. That is why Aranea’s final change is that of growth, so none can harm him. He wanders the Veluwe, searching for the brave soul that does dare embrace him for who he is.

This story adds a soft layer of empathy to the artwork. The folklore summons the question: is fear real or fantasy? And who’s afraid of who?

I hope to start a conversation about our friendly creepy-crawling house- and gardenmates. But also about fear in general? What is your favorite fear? How do we deal with ourselves? And in society? Is is weak to feel fear? Or is it healthy to share fears with eachother?

I invite you for a chat.