COVID Uncovered – An artistic project (and a charity auction) to exorcise coronavirus
You can read the Italian version of this article here.
The world is living a state of emergency: as COVID-19 is taking its toll on our population, the safest way to prevent the virus from further spreading is to avoid human contact. In Italy, the campaign #iorestoacasa (I’m staying home) has been implemented to its fullest: all commercial and cultural activities, including bars, restaurants, schools, cinemas and museums, are shut down.
Art has always been a mirror of times, a way to reflect upon historic events and exorcise the troubles of life. A collaboration between Emiliano Ponzi, a world-famous illustrator, Spazio Fuori Luogo, a Milan creative cultural center, and OPEN, a young independent online magazine, has called on a group of Italian artists to interpret the classic life drawing at the times of Coronavirus.
To see all the works put up for auction, click here.
Emiliano Ponzi
Irene Bruni from Spazio Fuori Luogo
The models were naked and wore solely several kinds of face protection, portraying the escalating threat experienced by the people of Italy. Artists also reflected the society at today’s state: they participated in videoconference from their home-places, protecting themselves and their fellow citizens.
The message is that “staying home” does not mean “staying still”: we can all do out bit even in such suspended times. Be it a message of hope, an expression of beauty, a meaningful help to society. And so it is: their sketches will be auctioned online and the bids will be donated to the Italian Red Cross, which is helping both the health authorities and the most vulnerable population to manage the crisis.
To see all the works put up for auction, click here.
We hope that the COVID Uncovered experience is just the first spark to a world-wide movement of art reflecting on the Coronavirus situation and doing something about it. We call upon all artists in the world to organize similar fundraising campaigns. Let’s share them together on the social media with the hashtag #artists_vs_covid19. We began it in Italy, so we created #artists_vs_covid19_italy. It would be wonderful to see the web flowering with national initiatives in the next few weeks: #artists_vs_covid19_china, #artists_vs_covid19_usa, #artists_vs_covid19_germany…
… Because viruses know no barriers, and so should we: may humankind learn to consider themselves as one.
The artists involved are: Bianca Bagnarelli, Alessandro Baronciani, Ivan Canu, Paolo d’Altan, Manuele Fior, Luca Font, Beppe Giacobbe, Gabriella Giandelli, Ale Giorgini, Riccardo Guasco, Sarah Mazzetti, Valeria Petrone, Emiliano Ponzi, Francesco Poroli, Guido Scarabottolo, Davide Toffolo, Paolo Troilo, Arianna Vairo, Paolo Ventura
To see all the works put up for auction, click here.
Francesco Poroli
Sarah Mazzetti
Guido Scarabottolo
Paolo Troilo
Videos and photography by Vincenzo Monaco
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