Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?

“Where do we come from?”, “what are we?” and “where are we going?” are questions that we should all ask ourselves.

When COVID-19 first spread, the world stopped. Then it started up again. Now, it seems to be on the verge of stopping again, with clear consequences regarding health, loss of human lives, and serious inconveniences to the economy, a sector that still hasn’t restarted properly and is at huge risk due to the increase in infections.

In a climate of social division between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated, those who are faithful to science and those who follow conspiracy theories, what happens to creativity and all of its expressions?

Following the most traumatic events in human life, something good has always followed.

What historical period are we in? What are the new artistic and cultural movements that are re-emerging from the crisis?

Both world wars were shattering experiences that changed man’s view of society. Entire generations of young people died and those who survived saw things very differently afterwards.

Following the wars, new movements such as Modernism, Futurism, Dada, Imagism arose while some artists were, on the contrary, looking for what was valuable and could be rescued from the past. Let’s talk about a new Renaissance, a way people have tried to be reborn from the ashes.

After the pandemic emerged, we were suddenly forced to adapt to a ‘new normal’: employees working from home, parents home-schooling their children, lockdown, quarantine, and the mandatory wearing of face masks and face shields in public.

This event accelerated changes that were already in progress both in the arts and throughout society, forcing the art world to create digital alternatives and somehow “democratize” art. 

The art world had to move past traditional structures which were not always inclusive, adapt for a digital-first community, and access new audiences.

Artists got creative – illustrators reading their books over Instagram Live, creators connecting with patrons through hashtags, and designers recording time-lapse videos that showcase their processes.

“I am sharing paintings each day on Instagram and Facebook so that people have more art in their lives. While making a living through art feels hard right now, I can do my part to make confinement less stressful.”—Lisa McShane, Artist

Cultural and creative industries have suffered, with the Performing Arts sector being the worst hit by the crisis. Owing to its nature as a cultural practice that requires the physical presence of an audience – no longer permissible under the pandemic, or very limited – performance activities were amongst the first to cease. Unfortunately, some of these institutions have yet to recover.

Cultural industry is important for society’s economy, education and well-being. It has survived throughout centuries of wars and crises and deserves to be put at the center of recovery plans going forward.

Where do we come from? Centuries of arts, music and literature.

What are we? At the dawn of a new era.

Where are we going? Let’s hope that it will be a future in which our creativity will not be jeopardized by social distancing.

References

• Jeff Clyde G Corpuz, Adapting to the culture of ‘new normal’: an emerging response to COVID-19, Journal of Public Health, Volume 43, Issue 2, June 2021.
• Crossick, G. and Kaszynska, P., 2016. Understanding The Value Of Arts & Culture.
  Swindon: Arts and Humanities Research Council.
• https://www.artworkarchive.com/blog/how-covid-accelerated-the-evolution-of-the-art-world

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