In Roman mythology, Fortuna was the Goddess of luck, chance and fate, often symbolized by a perpetually turning wheel. The Wheel of Fortune became a powerful metaphor for the idea that human destiny was not solely in individual hands but often swayed by external forces, random occurrences, and Fortuna’s whims – placing the burden of responsibility on Fortuna, the female embodiment of destiny.
The Wheel of Fortune serves as the central motif of the duo exhibition by Kinga-Noémi Ács and Martha Kicsiny, which both emerging female artists examine from a critical perspective, exploring its historical context, cultural impact and symbolic weight.
The exhibition, Fortuna Burns, examines the narrative shift of how collective patterns and norms—long considered predestined and immutable—are give way to individual responsibility, personal liberation, and the dominance of external forces (such as nature) in shaping gender roles, social dynamics, and human condition.