1 – Chapter 1 - Artistic practice & the research Acknowledgements Introduction Glossary Part I:...................................................................................................... 12 Towards the Hybrid Hero ...................................................................... 12 1.1 Chapter 1: Artistic practice & the research......................... 13 1.1.1. Why? ............................................................................ 14 Why heroes? 14 Why history? Why historic heroes? 16 Why ambiguous heroes and ambiguous histories? 17 1.1.2. Germs in the practice ............................................................. 17 Motivation and Background 18 1.1.3. Each One Alone ........................................................... 21 1.1.4. The Borgia trilogy ......................................................... 23 Origins 24 2007-2008: Homo Carnale 25 2011-2013: Homo Fatale 31 2014-2016: Homo Solo & The Borgia trilogy 37 1.2. Chapter 2: Fictional heroes and the arts ............................. 45 1.2.1. The origins? .................................................................. 45 The origin of heroes: heroes and anti-heroes? 47 Using Heroism? 49 1.2.2. Accepting or denouncing heroes? .................................. 52 Accepting heroes 52 Denouncing heroes 53 1.2.3. A hero of our times? The temporality of heroes .............. 55 The pendulum and appeal of Heroes 58 1.2.4. The expected return of the hero? ................................... 59 Velocity 60 Make-ability 61 Transition 62 1.2.5. Defining heroism? ......................................................... 64 Status of heroes? 68 Conclusion ...................................................................................... 70 1.3. Chapter 3: The fictional hero as empathic tool ............... 71 1.3.1. Defining empathy? ........................................................ 71