Protection
As part of the Chapter Future Garden transdisciplinary team, artist Koen Vanmechelen selected Protection as the artwork to integrate the ideations of group 1 with the feedback and reflections of the transdisciplinary team.
Protection
You’re on a journey of self-discovery; each of you is like an egg that’s beginning to hatch. This artwork represents the protective wing—a symbol of gentle, nurturing leadership. Rather than controlling, this type of leadership provides shelter and guidance, offering support without imposing force. It allows space for growth.
The claw symbolizes the ‘wild gene’—an unpredictable, untamed force breaking through. Your group embodies such a gene. This element represents the unique potential within each individual or group, the raw, authentic power that lies within. True leadership requires balancing gentle guidance with the courage to embrace and protect this emerging, wild energy in others.
I encourage you to see yourselves as individuals with untapped potential, still in the process of becoming. The two smaller eggs reflect the duality of personal development: some elements are clear and shared, while others remain internal, hidden, or still in the process of being understood.
This approach to leadership fosters empowerment - supporting each other as you grow and develop without confinement or limitation. By combining protection with freedom, we can challenge traditional notions of authority and advocate for leadership that nurtures individuality and personal growth.
Koen Vanmechelen