‘The Weight of Oneself’. A statue I photographed on 19 September 2025 in Lyon on the banks of the Saône. A work created by the contemporary artist duo Michael Elmgreen (Danish) and Ingar Dragset (Norwegian). It depicts a naked man standing with another man in his arms, who is lifeless but has the same face as the man carrying him. This visual singularity challenges and questions: it suggests that man is both his own saviour and his own burden, thus posing a profound philosophical reflection on personal responsibility, resilience and autonomy. The artists drew inspiration from the classical codes of heroism and ancient statuary (nudity, marble, idealised bodies) and reinterpreted them from a contemporary perspective, inviting viewers to meditate on the human condition and our relationship with ourselves.
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