Tube Culture Hall is delighted to announce their new exhibition I want you to be weak, as weak as I am featuring work by artists Gill Button, Cecilia Fiona, Ellie Kayu Ng, Gal Schindler and Melania Toma.

Curated by Vittoria Beltrame, the exhibition explores thematics of psychological nature tied to the notion of vulnerability seen as a strength, where expressing one’s feeling is a form of bravery. Sharing one’s intimate thoughts can be daunting and intimidating, yet putting one’s heart on the line and being open to being vulnerable in face of rejection and people’s reaction is one of the most courageous acts a human-being can withstand.

The title of the exhibition is a line taken from Milan Kundera’s book The unbearable lightness of being, where the entirety of the story juxtaposes the characters’ lightness of spirit to their ‘heaviness.’ The book highlights the complex balance between these two undeniable aspects of the person, two sides of the same coin, while considering the difficult nature of decision-making in life, specifically in love. Kundera’s book seems to touch on topics initially introduced by the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche - such as nihilism, - where the idea of living a meaningless life is daunting as much as the idea of living the same life over and over again - urging the reader to make adequate choices without leaving space for future regret. A sort of Carpe Diem mixed with some Amor Fati, for which we might leave our lives up to destiny, but - better yet - we shall create the change by reaching out and getting what we want. The only way to do so is by being open to vulnerability and learning from mistakes.

This show, with an intricate mix of abstract, figurative, and a touch of surreal, wants to explore these thematics with highly evocative works by the five exhibiting artists, which reflect on tenderness and toughness. The exhibition aims at exploring the notion that communication and self-expression through art is a show of strength, with these artists who - by allowing the audience to view their pieces which speak of their deepest emotions and ideas, are open to being vulnerable, and therefore incredibly strong.