Often artists say that they live as hermits, go to the countryside, lock themselves in their studio, their office to be quiet and think when they want to produce one or more works. Can the confinement that billions of people are currently living on all continents because of the Covid-19 epidemic be assimilated to this particular moment that artists experience? Perhaps. The fact is that since the beginning of these days of confinement at home, social networks (especially WhatsApp, Facebook or Twitter) are flooded with videos and photos of all kinds created by professionals of the image but also by many amateurs.
These audiovisual materials cover various subjects. For example, the famous leitmotif “Stay at home” is widely developed. Internet users, whether they are anonymous or famous, stage themselves with a certain talent for acting to show that the house remains the only drug against this virus, for the moment.
Another topic brought joy to videographers: relationships between women and men. It is true that many even married couples have never spent so much time together in a dwelling and by force. Even on the honeymoon, they leave the bridal chamber… So women are accused of “bugging” their husbands by talking like old radio sets, some even see their ears grow… The great laziness of some men when it comes to housework is also singled out. Confined, men are forced to make an effort but often with a lot of clumsiness… Fortunately, this “war” between the two sexes is treated with great humour.
In addition, Guadeloupe and Martinique which have as tradition to taste crab dishes for Easter will be deprived this year because of confinement and the crustacean dances its joy in a video…
Videos in all languages circulate on the planet – WhatApps remains the most used network – with one goal: to make people laugh, to make this moment more bearable and it works. It should be noted that even during the hurricane season in the Caribbean islands, confinement has never been so long…
A more important subject also makes the brain work: the mask. This little piece of fabric that went almost unnoticed today makes the entire globe fantasize because it slows the spread of the disease. However, it is lacking in almost all hospitals to the point that state representatives go to China (which has become the largest workshop in the world) on the tarmac of airports to fight with suitcases full of bank notes and take away the cargoes… scenes worthy of films with the mafia in the lead role.
Beacause of this shortage, the “little people” who also want to protect themselves from a new disease that doctors do not know perfectly use tons of imagination to make masks and visors with simple materials (soda bottle, piece of fabric, scarf, pants…sanitary towels etc.). Filming yourself with your mobile phone and sharing your creations on social networks is showing solidarity. Finally, the digital that many feared became a drug for the people.
Thus, this period of confinement reveals that in each of us an artist is dormant and, if the circumstances were not so dramatic, prizes could reward the best creations in each category… These creative geniuses are capable not only of entertaining billions of people – and we do not know yet if they will have psychological trauma as a result of this unprecedented lock-up – but also to find resourcefulness solutions to stop this coronavirus pandemic.
This is also the survival instinct…
