As the entire globe experiences the difficulties and dangers of Covid-19, many areas of life are being affected. Not only have restaurants and malls closed to promote social distancing and prevent further spread of the virus, art galleries, museums, and artist all around the world are struggling to show their work. Despite the hardships of it all, many people have also gotten very creative in order to ensure their work reaches a wider audience despite everyone being instructed to stay home.

There have been many virtual concerts performed by musical artists open to anyone who has access to the Internet. 88rising, a mass media company with signed artists including Rich Brian, Niki, and Joji, recently held a Youtube livestream ‘ASIA RISING FOREVER’, with donations from viewers going to Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC). This organization helps to advocate for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans. On this livestream, many Asian artists (from popular American singers to K-pop idols) performed for online viewers. Many artists have also been doing livestreams on Instagram, giving a virtual concert or interacting with fans from the comfort of their own studios or homes. Some of these artists include Miley Cyrus, Diplo, and Rex Orange County.

Recently, fashion designer Aniva Mvuemba has gained a lot of attention for her own groundbreaking method of showcasing her work. She plans on releasing her latest collection, Pink Label Congo, via Instagram live using 3D models.

At Syracuse University specifically, where I am currently a student at, my own art video class decided to hop on the social media bandwagon. The class instructor created our own Instagram account @ covideo_sketchbookwhere our work was posted via Instagram TV. At the end of the semester, we did a Zoom screening of our final videos that was open to the public. The graduating class of the art video program did the same with their own Zoom screening of their final works as well.

The current times have been very scary, worrisome, and troubling, but we as humans have been adapting to the situation to the best of our ability and using our creativity. I think I can safely say that the way we showcase and view art will be changed forever.

References:

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/a32650985/hanifa-3d-models-anifa-mvuemba-instagram/
https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9372521/88rising-asia-rising-forever-standout-live-stream-festival
https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/all-musicians-streaming-live-concerts.html