AGO volunteer Cara-Lynn Nisenbaum shares her thoughts on art during the COVID-19 crisis.
As the world begins to open up again, finding peace in the beauty of the lockdown images is a welcome reprieve from the streaming newsfeeds updating us on the global crisis. Cities cleared of their crowds, some of the most populated sites worldwide – empty and slowing down. Images that at once present apocalyptic doom and rarely seen beauty of isolation. We can view places as if we are the only invited guest to preview a new exhibition.
Images captured by news photographers can feed our fear of the pandemic or we can choose to see beauty. Photographers have turned to locations of structural awe and heroic design to inspire us and perhaps provide a moment for escape or self-reflection. Photographer, Simone Monte states, “ … its is a privilege to be here (Rome) in this historically cruel moment. … to capture its stunning historic beauty in the dreary atmosphere is an honour to me.” (Brazilian photographer Simone Monte Captures Empty Streets of Rome During COVID-19 Lockdown)
“The absence of people provides us with the ability to see into the distance with endless visual perspective. We feel as though we are alone in the landscape, a heroic adventurer.” The pausing of gathering in public places changes our everyday life. But it can’t take away our appreciation for beauty or the uplifting energy we derive from art. In times of great challenge and distress we still can choose to seek solace in the arts. (The uncanny melancholy of empty photographs in the time of coronavirus)
Sources:
Silence in the Streets: Dispatches From New York City Under Lockdown
The Return of Fear New York, a child of disaster, remembers its past.
Coronavirus: ten Geographical writers share their tales of lockdown