Walking On Eggshells
Sara Brucato
3’53’’ video
In 2024, Italy allocated 10 million euro for psychological assistance. The response was overwhelming: 175,000 requests arrived in just two days, highlighting a clear need for support. However, only 11% of these requests were met due to limited funds. With the public health system struggling with long waiting lists, those with higher incomes can afford private therapy, while lower-income individuals are left on their own.
Having personally experienced mental health-related difficulties without access to professional care, the artist explored psychological themes in search of understanding. This brought the realization that many painful emotions and dysfunctional behaviors may arise from unresolved childhood experiences that continue interfering with the present.
“Walking On Eggshells” wants to talk about the impact of childhood on adult life by addressing the constant need for control in response to the fear that one’s environment may at any moment inflict emotional distress. The work is an audiovisual installation that builds in intensity, beginning with steady, almost neutral imagery before gradually becoming more unsettling. The audio makes you sense an imminent danger however the visual show no concrete threat, reflecting a way of moving through life burdened by the constant anticipation that something negative might happen.
