Micro Lockdown (2021)
The Covid-19 pandemic, which has lasted for nearly two years, disrupts the pace of life around the world. The implementation of lockdown measures in various places has also unexpectedly created new forms of life and work. However, this new lifestyle has had a negative impact on mental health. Many studies have shown that the proportion of people experiencing depression, anxiety, and even suicidal tendencies has increased significantly, especially more noticeable among young people.
After being isolated from one another, how would people's daily lives and moods change? Inspired by the question, this project recorded the daily lives of participating artists under the pandemic through image diaries on Instagram. The artists were asked to reflect their moods on the photos by altering colour tones and posting them anonymously online.
Instagram, as a platform for photo publication, becomes a form of an online exhibition. This display method allows the artists to wander around the blurred border between the private and public spheres, and challenges each individual’s degree of openness to expose their privacy to the Internet world. On the other hand, when these private photos are printed and displayed in a public space, how much authenticity would be filtered out by the artist's choice when shooting the photos?
The project was carried out from September 15 to 21 in 2021 in Taiwan, including the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday from 18th to 21st. Seeing it as an imaging experiment, I aimed to construct a unique photo narrative that reflects the post-pandemic era.
Micro Lockdown is a collaborative work initiated by Mingyi Sung for the group exhibition Image+ at VT Artsalon.
Participating artists: Chi Wei Chiu, , Fan Xiu Peng, Ling-Cheng Chiu, Mingyi Sung, Tsu Fan Ling, Yu Yang Huang, Ya Xuan Xiao, Xiu Zhen Zheng
Installation: Mingyi Sung