2020 In One Word?
COMPLICATED
Should we wear masks? Should we go into lockdown? Should we close the schools? Should we work remote? Should we stop travel?
CUBE 720 is a conceptual representation of turning a complicated matter on its head for a completely new perspective.
DIVIDED
It’s like the flu. No it isn’t. It’s a hoax. NO IT IS NOT. They want to chip us with the vaccine. No “They” don’t. I can’t breathe through a mask. Yes you can.
SHARDS is a clear visual of the sharp edges of colourful misinformation, and how they can cut through the very fabric of our civil society.
ISOLATED
No parks. No pools. No shooting ball with your friends. No Cinemas. No Mother’s Day. No Father’s Day. 10 people inside, 25 outside. No wait, 5 people inside, 10 outside. No restaurants, okay maybe, no, just kidding. No Thanksgiving. No Trick or Treating. No Christmas or New Year’s celebrations. LOCK IT DOWN. STAY AT HOME.
ROUGE ABSOLU is a reminder of a time when we looked forward to getting together with friends and family. A nostalgic yearning for social gatherings.
DESOLATE
The horrifying plight of elderly residents in long-term care facilities.
FORGOTTEN is a symbolic hand; tired, arthrotic, and desperate, it is reaching out for help that fails to come.
LOST
Mothers. Fathers. Grandparents. Sisters. Brothers. Wives. Husbands. Partners. Daughters. Sons. Aunts. Uncles. Cousins. Friends. Colleagues. Teachers. Essential workers. Jobs. Businesses. Lives. Livelihoods. Milestones. Moments.
SUNDAY BLUES is reminiscent of a band playing their last song in an empty dive bar.
RESILIENT
Simple joys. Video chat. Binge streaming. Dinner on the small balcony. Hide and seek in the little apartment. Finding a new hobby. Crafting. Gardening. Reading. Waiting for the Vaccine.
PICNIC BLANKET is a depiction of how most tried to stay safe in their own backyard.
FREEDOM
To move. To travel. To explore. To socialize. To go to school. To be informed, with verifiable facts. To be treated equal. To earn a living wage. To have access to good healthcare. To be safe. To be respected. To live.
FREEDOM is an imaginary location where the majesty of K2, the coziness of Southern California’s palm trees and the clear turquoise of the Caribbean come together. An abstract view into the untamable free will of human nature.
And Of Course
STEADFAST
We Will Get Through This
THE SUN WILL RISE EVERY MORNING – Fugue in C Major – an uplifting piece to remind us better days are ahead.
SPOTLIGHT 2020 is a virtual exhibition of Robyn Safarian’s digital art and music composition created to reflect upon immediate experiences of 2020’s pandemic response.