When does security become a risk?

What gives us a sense of security? How much security do we need to take a risk? When does security itself become a danger? The Stapferhaus in Lenzburg explores these big questions in its newly opened exhibition ‘Security. A Risk?’.

The topic has become increasingly relevant in the face of global multi-crises, says Celia Bachmann, artistic co-director and head of education at the Stapferhaus.

“Climate change, uncertainty surrounding AI, democracies under pressure: all of this is altering our sense of security and shows that the balance between security and risk must be renegotiated time and again.”

The exhibition is conceived as a test centre, with elaborate scenography and great attention to detail. A corridor lined with CCTV cameras leads into a laboratory, decorated in shades of grey – neutral and scientific in appearance. Visitors are invited to explore questions of risk and safety – both on a personal and a societal level – using various everyday objects. Which do I perceive as riskier: singing in front of strangers or spending a day without my mobile phone? Do I lock the front door, even when I’m at home? Do I think a compulsory bicycle helmet policy makes sense? Do I believe that simplified naturalisation would increase safety in Switzerland, or not? But also: does this object contribute to my safety? Does it contribute to the safety of other people? Are there people for whom this object is unsafe?

Six further exhibition spaces are arranged around the test laboratory. These are interactive experiential worlds that invite visitors to explore with all their senses, leading them from thought to feeling. Take the dance floor, for example: visitors listen to music and instructions via headphones. But not everyone hears the same things at the same time: what would you dare to try out in front of others? Another room explores the theme of fear: decorated in black, it is reminiscent of a child’s bedroom at night and, at a long desk, invites visitors to give their fears shape and colour using coloured pencils and scissors.

The exhibition strikes a balance between a serious theme and a certain light-heartedness. “We don’t want to unsettle our audience; we don’t want to take away anyone’s sense of security,” says Bachmann. “Rather, we want to encourage people to think beyond their own feelings and show that safety can mean something different to everyone.”

The exhibition design encourages people to engage in dialogue, observes Bachmann: “The rooms encourage conversation and shared experiences. Especially when we have groups here, such as school classes, they cheer each other on, clap, listen to one another and engage in an exchange – including an emotional one.”

The Stapferhaus’s programme fundamentally addresses current, socially relevant issues. As a result, the institution repeatedly finds itself in highly charged political arenas. The issue of security is no exception. Bachmann says:

“In our exhibitions, we try to take a step back. Away from party political positions, away from polarisation, and towards the fundamentals. In this case: what is security, anyway? Who decides what counts as secure? Who creates security, and for whom?”

At the end of the exhibition, visitors are once again left entirely to their own devices: there is the option of making a 2-metre jump onto a mat to return to the exit. The jump has been assessed by experts and implemented in accordance with the prescribed safety measures. But just before the jump, does my gut instinct believe the logical arguments in my head? Do I trust the museum and its promise of safety? Do I accept the residual risk that something might still go wrong? Do I jump?