Roberto Gramiccia's 'Teoria della fragilità' explores fragility as a resource in art and life

Roberto Gramiccia, a physician, art critic, and collector, has published a new book titled 'Teoria della fragilità. Alla ricerca di un potere nascosto' (Diarkos, 2025, 384 pp., €10), written with Ginevra Amadio. Building on his 2016 essay 'Elogio della fragilità' and the exhibition 'Fragili eroi' at the Museo Bilotti in Rome, Gramiccia argues that fragility is a fundamental human condition and can be transformed into a strength. The book examines physical, existential, and psychological forms of fragility, drawing on the philosophies of Arnold Gehlen and Emanuele Severino. It profiles historical figures from literature, art, music, philosophy, politics, science, and sport who turned their vulnerabilities into assets, including footballer Garrincha, resistance hero Gennarino Capuozzo, and artists Mario Schifano, Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Frida Kahlo, and Chuck Close. Gramiccia distinguishes 'active' fragility that resists oppression from passive fragility. The book is presented as a timely response to global conflicts and rising nationalism, offering a tool for solidarity and democratic renewal.