Image courtesy of Cynthia Fusillo (detail) ©️ 2020
What’s Next for Earth is a Community Art Project to reflect on the COVID19 period and re-invent the future: normal was the problem. Quarantine Discoveries is What's Next For Earth’s second project.
This moment of confinement we are living in is an extraordinary moment that touches nearly everyone and has changed our perspectives. During this time we have all seen and experienced things differently — in a way that we are unlikely to forget. And, for many of us, these experiences, both good and bad, have changed our perception of priorities. For better or for worse, we have had a peek into what it means for the world to be very different from the one we are used to each day, a world in which food and supplies flow almost continuously around the globe. For some, this glimpse has meant less commute or more time with family, while for others it has meant great hardship and personal loss. And somewhere in our heads, in at least some, small way, it has made each of us reflect on what is truly important to us each day, and what is not — what we must have going forward, and what isn’t so important.
This revelation of our priorities has a role to play as we move forward on this planet that ultimately has a limited set of resources. We will be forced, one day, to decide what is and is not important — what we need versus what we want.
We received images and videos with captions. To see them all, please visit What’s Next for Earth on Instagram. Here is a selection of the contributions:
Ivan Sigg (Paris, France)
Art of Confinement #15 :
“Can we slow down ?”
Music : SBTRKT
(Feat. ASAP Ferg and Warpaint) – Voices in my head
Each night since the beginning of lockdown I give a lightpainting show to my neighborhood. This is live digital animated painting on building.
Voices in my head: Finding the balance between painting, music, light and movement
Des voix dans ma tête : Trouver l’adéquation entre la peinture, la musique, la lumière et le mouvement
Kimberly Witham (Glen Gardner, New Jersey, US)
The latest collaborative effort between R and I. This one was inspired by the photo in my previous post and by my son’s great joy at blowing “wishies.” “Fleeting Wishes” 2020 Covid 19 Lockdown …
Barbara Boissevain (Palo Alto, California, US)
While sheltering at home, enjoying going through the more than 7,000 images I shot the last two summers in France for my series “Les Arbres Nous Survivront”.
Addy Lyon (Oceanside, California, US)
2020 Heroes
Illustrator Vector Art
Within this piece are people i know and care for working on the front efforts with additional representations of frontline workers who i believe deserve credit for their efforts. I see these people as heroes.
Thank you frontline workers for enduring and providing for communities endlessly.
Submission for Pandemic Related art project.
Cynthia Jabar Makes (NYC, NY, US)
Thank you to my mother who gave me the seeds, imagination & strength to sow my own garden . May we all be brave enough and kind enough to share our bounty during this transformative time. Thank you Mother Earth.
Coco Hellein (France)
J – 2: Une nouvelle page blanche est là pour réécrire une nouvelle histoire en post-confinement ! My best office is here. Ces presque deux mois de “pause” m’ont laissé le temps de décanter tous les évènements de ces dix dernières années et tous les changements professionnels et personnels survenus … des accélérations, des réussites, des déceptions et des ralentissements obligés. Des adaptations régulières pour ne pas trop souffrir des changements non choisis.
Beaucoup de beaux projets en design textile, en graphisme et en expertise couleur avec beaucoup d’énergie donnée et transmise et partagée avec et pour des étudiants.
Des parents engagés et invertis toute leur vie partis de peu et ayant aujourd’hui cette maison et ce beau jardin que j’entretiens, aujourd’hui âgés et malades ils dependent des autres, deux grandes filles qui suivent leur chemin d’études et toutes deux en questionnement et dessinent elles aussi…. tiens tiens. Et donc aujourd’hui ? Je me sens prête à m’investir dans des nouvelles histoires plus eco-responsable et solidaire, à me battre contre toute forme d’autoritarisme et d’injustice et d’atteinte aux liberté de chacun ! … de pouvoir choisir entre autre sa médecine, sa nourriture et son éducation ! De cultiver plus que jamais la différence, l’écoute, les petites entreprises, la qualité plus que la quantité et… j’oubliai l’amour de la vie et mon jardin! Et vous ? Vous en êtes ou ?
Marianne Bickett (California, US)
Living in the shadows of the Coronavirus, one of the first things we noticed was colorful chalk designs on the sidewalks of our neighborhood. How interesting that people needed to create art in response to the crisis and sheltering in place! Seeds are gestating during this dark moment in history. We hold our destiny in our everyday choices, and the seeds of change are scattered in anticipation of a healthier environment for all beings! Merci to Michèle for creating this opportunity to engage in Quarantine Discoveries!
Cynthia Fusillo (Barcelona, Spain)
Breathe
Alise Sheehan (San Diego, California, US)
Change is happening. The old entrenched ways are dissolving, and we are on our way to creating something new. Let’s manifest inclusiveness, love and kindness for the earth and all beings. Turning Stone Into Wings.
Janis Selby Jones (Vista, California, US)
Litter in the Time of Coronavirus
.
Most of the beaches in San Diego County closed at the beginning of April, and instead of my walks at the coast, I have been venturing through my neighborhood to the quaint Main Street area of town. Every time I go out, I see gloves and masks that have been abandoned in parking lots, tossed on sidewalks, or jettisoned in gutters—and I am not alone. People across the country and around the world are witnessing the same thing, and it is completely unnecessary.
.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend gloves for the general public, citing that they give people a false sense of security and “failing to change them often is the same thing as failing to wash your hands.” People who wear latex gloves make the mistake of leaving them on for extended periods of time and end up touching lots of things, which can spread the virus. Sadly, underpaid sanitation workers, grocery store employees, and gas station attendants are most likely the ones who will have to pick up these potential biohazards.
.
In addition, littered masks and gloves that go unnoticed can become environmental hazards. In fact, I often found gloves at the beach prior to the coronavirus crisis, and I am quite sure that it won’t be too long before even more start washing up. Out of respect for our essential workers, and for the sake of the natural environment, single-use masks and gloves must be discarded appropriately. Ultimately, we can all help keep the unsung heroes in our communities out of harms way, while also protecting our oceans and sea life.
Elena Lomakin (California, US)
Half Moon Bay
Pascal Ken (Paris, France)
How can we pretend to change the world without changing ourselves?
~Michele Guieu, Eco-Artist, MAHB Member and MAHB Arts Community coordinator~