Egg can be seen as an emblem of fragility and strength at the same time. Spotted in Dali’s or Turk’s work as a symbol of birth and inspiration, it contradicts the uselessness of a precious Fabergé. Piero Manzoni’s marks it with his fingerprint and then gives to his spectators to devour it (‘Consumazione dell’arte dinamica del pubblico divorare l’arte’ – 1960), as a link between the artist and audience.
Sustaining contradictory emotions while dealing with the concepts of success and failure, piece explores the inner state through an enigmatic form. Heavy and solid, the exterior tactile surface is imprinted with personal signs of the making. A clear sense of touch and volume defines the ovoid vacancy contained in the structure, allowing compositional interplay between the outside and inside. Through this contradiction, a space of inward reflection is generated, while the configuration creates a dialogue allusive of camouflage as a survival technique. Split in two, when the egg is opened the notion of protection is disrupted by the steel spikes. Both safe and hostile, the hedgehog is attacking itself.