The first selection of Artists in Quarantine came from a Facebook group on my feed, facilitated by Jakob Lohmann. The posts from international artists who found themselves under lock-down were harried and sometimes timid as they reached out through their screens to share delicate creations made in the first few weeks of this new age of anxiety. This second installment of the series was compiled as our shared days in captivity lengthened, as the weeks added up. The thoughts and creations shared by the artists below have elongated as we collectively have found our bearings, and taken inventory of what we have at our disposal with which to live, and to work. The thoughts of the artists below have been minimally edited to support their clarity but preserve their use of english, when applicable. Also note that while this was the third week of "quarantine" in Germany, comrades in China are coming to the end of their time in lock-down which lasted over 8 weeks.- HF
Moshtari Hilal, 2020
Ich bin genau zu Beginn in meine neue Wohnung gezogen. Meine Wohnung, dieser Raum, indem mein Schreibtisch steht, mein Bett und fast alles was ich besitze, ist damit untrennbar von der häuslichen Quarantäne. Genauer gesagt zog ich mit weitaus weniger ein und nur nach und nach wurden mir meine Möbel zugeliefert. Jedes Mal klingelte es an der Tür und ein Mann, manchmal derselbe Mann an aufeinander folgenden Tagen, brachte mir ein Pappkartonbraunes Paket nach dem anderen, so groß wie ein Stuhl, so groß wie ein Tisch, so groß wie ein Bett.
Mit 15 Jahren war Pappkartonbraun meine Lieblingsfarbe. Ich hatte sie ausgewählt, weil sie mir erwachsen und nüchtern, zeitlos und bodenständig erschien. Ich erinnere mich wie ich an einem Abend mein kleines Zimmer, damals noch bei meinen Eltern, Pappkartonbraun strich.
Zuerst wurde ich ausgelacht für diese Wahl, für diese trübe, langweilige Farbe. Dann an den Wänden wirkte sie warm und ehrlich. Wenn man nachsichtig ist, dann kann Pappkarton die Wärme von behandeltem Holz vortäuschen. Dabei ist Holz ernsthafter und Pappe leichtsinniger, Holz lebt in gewisser Weise weiter, Pappe ist tot und komprimiert. Gestern und heute wurde mir das tote, komprimierte Pappkartonbraun zugeliefert, wie ein Lebenszeichen von Draußen. Zu Beginn unterschrieb ich bei Empfang, später wurden mir die Pakete ernst zugeschoben. Jede Zustellung riss mich mit einem grellen Klingeln aus der Trance meines einsamen Tages.
Moshtari Hilal, 2020
Ich hatte es kaum geschafft das Nötigste zu besorgen, als die ersten Läden bis auf weiteres ihren Betrieb einstellen mussten. Bei all der Unsicherheit um Grundlegendes, um Brot, Salz, Essigreiniger und Seife, vergaß ich wer ich bin. Ich hatte vergessen mir Zeichenpapier zu kaufen, dabei zeichnete ich, das war was ich tat, wenn ich mir nicht die Hände wusch oder aß. Beschämt über meine Selbstvergessenheit, über meinen hysterischen Einkauf von Zitronen, lies ich mich auf meinen Miet-Fußboden fallen, da klingelte es und das Pappkartonbraun stand an der Tür. Verständnisvoll und unaufgeregt arbeitete es weiter, pflichtbewusst stand es da.
Ich zeichnete auf dem warmen Braun der Pappe.
~
Zheng Mengyuan, Xinyang City
Zheng Mengyuan, 2020
3月16号信阳市区内的防疫站开始陆续解撤离了，那张五天才能出行一次的通行证也终于不再派上用场。虽然是期待已久的消息，但是并没有想象中的激动。生活总要慢慢恢复秩序，而身在疫区的人不知道还需要坚持多久。
156公里的距离，两个小时的车程，那辆我在熟悉不过的T181由哈尔滨开往汉口的列车，在1月23日封城开始至今还没有运行。去年从学校回家的那一刻也从来没有想到与同学们的再次相聚需要间隔这么长的时间。
我有一个武汉的室友，我们在微信群里相互交换着彼此的近况。听她讲起疫情刚开始她的恐惧，六口人一直待在家里时的焦虑，到后来她开始慢慢寻找生活中的乐趣，给我们分享一些她身边的一些趣闻。我想她身上折射出的也是大多数武汉人的品质，她说她虽然不能为这座城市做些什么，但是有这么多人在关心着武汉她也要尽自己所能保持最乐观的心态积极地面对疫情。
3月26日大雨下了一整天，长时间居家的压抑感并没有随着家乡的解封而消除，还是时常会焦虑会莫名其妙的想要哭。武汉这座城市承载了太多的感情，这里是我梦的起点，有我挚爱的老师和同学，有太多温暖甜蜜的回忆。加油我的武汉，一定要慢慢好起来！
On March 16, the epidemic prevention stations in Xinyang city began to evacuate one after another, and the five-day travel pass was finally no longer used. Although it's the long-awaited news, there's no excitement in my imagination. Life must gradually restore order, and people in the epidemic area do not know how long they need to keep on.
A distance of 156 kilometers, two hours' drive, the familiar T181 train from Harbin to Hankou, has not yet run since it was closed on January 23rd. Last year, when I went home from school, I never thought it would take so long to get together with my classmates again.
I have a roommate in Wuhan. We exchange our recent situation in a webchat group. Listen to her talk about her fear at the beginning of the epidemic, the anxiety of six people who have been staying at home. Later, she began to slowly find fun in life and share some interesting stories with us. I think what she reflects is also the quality of most people in Wuhan. She said that although she can't do anything for the city, there are so many people who are concerned about Wuhan, she should also try her best to keep the most optimistic attitude and face the epidemic actively.
It rained heavily all day on March 26. The depression of staying at home for a long time did not disappear with the release of the hometown, or the anxiety would often feel inexplicably like crying. Wuhan is a city with too many feelings. Here is the starting point of my dream. There are my beloved teachers and classmates, too many warm and sweet memories. Come on, my Wuhan, we must get better slowly!
疫情像一面镜子，折射出人们心中的恐惧，也照亮了这世间的大爱。冬去春来，沉睡中的武汉正在慢慢苏醒，我们期待着武汉痊愈的那一刻。
大爱无疆，在这场全球性的战役中各国的医护人员都义不容辞的冲到了抗战一线。国有84岁的终南山院士，73岁李兰娟院士和千千万万个主动请缨的医护人员。同样身处疫情重灾区的意大利，85岁的退休名医Giampiero Giro也再次挂帅上阵，他说：“当你决定这一生要做一名一生的时候，就必须义无反顾。”世界各处都有这样逆行的英雄，用他们的大爱，一点点融化人们心中的恐惧。
国家身亡匹夫有责。作为一个拥有14亿人口的国家，爆发于春节期间的疫情令每个人都迫不及防。在疫情面前每个人都肩负起了自己的责任，今年的春节没有爆竹声声迎新春，没有走街串巷互相拜访，没有热热闹闹的家庭聚餐。一档春晚把每个中国人的心联结在一起，也把十四亿中国人的爱汇集在一起，我们用自己最力所能及的方式为祖国奉献着一点点微弱的力量。
漫长的封城期并没有将身处重灾区的武汉人民击倒，也自当不会将全世界人民击倒。爱与大义终将击败黑暗，黎明指日可待。
It's up to everyone not to die. As a country with a population of 1.4 billion, the outbreak during the Spring Festival is beyond everyone's control. In front of the epidemic, everyone has shouldered their own responsibilities. This Spring Festival has no firecrackers to welcome the new year, no street visits, no hot and noisy family gatherings. A spring festival gala combines the hearts of every Chinese and the love of 1.4 billion Chinese people. We devote a little weak power to our motherland in the way we can.
The long period of closure did not knock down the people of Wuhan in the worst-hit areas, nor will it knock down the people of the world. Love and abundance will defeat the darkness, the dawn is just around the corner.
Translation by Zheng Mengyuan
~
I am based in Berlin and left for Barcelona in early February to be alone, meet strangers and paint or get inspired. I also wanted to process a lot of unsolved things within me that needed a special kind of attention. The first two weeks Barcelona went well. I connected with incredibly inspiring and friendly people and creatives and I even collaborated on some minor projects.
Then Corona hit and I remember everything changed within a few days. It was quite interesting to see how your topics, your life and your fears are put into perspective. I remember my sketchbook went from intimate encounters, painful break ups and an uncertain future to this new huge uncertainty and fear. It was incredible and still is. There was a lockdown in Barcelona announced on March 13th, that was also my Birthday and I remember looking at the restaurant staffs’ faces. We went home and I booked a flight back right away. I arrived back in Berlin a few days later but went straight to quarantine out in the country. I feel very blessed to be out in nature right now.
Selections from Unbennant
Marius Bergmann, 2020
It is very strange to be within a very intense and new environment and then something else, something that is so much bigger comes in and just covers everything up. It is like a tape that just goes over everything else. Or you just close your eyes and stop sensing. At the same time all these situations, encounters and feelings are still underneath and they come out at night or in the middle of the day when you drink a coffee and they pull you back into what was before. Where do you distinguish? Which anxiety goes where and what do you prioritize? So my natural reaction is fear and panic mostly. But again I am very blessed to be safe and know that my family is safe.
I don’t usually work when it is stormy like that but in between these strong emotions I feel a lot of need to express what is around. It is almost like a responsibility to share what we (I) have. I started sharing things on social media a lot more. A lot of things I was afraid of before are also diminishing these days. I think that is quite a beautiful thing. It comes down to the core. Everything else feels not very important to me anymore. I also feel this very strong bond between all of us because, well it affects us all. And I think that is very beautiful too.
Sketchbook, Marius Bergmann
On the technical side my work now is fast & small and simple. I don’t have many materials so I paint and write mostly in my sketchbook. I found an old flag the other day and I painted on it so I use what I find. There is also no time and need for deeper concepts or complexity anymore I feel like we need simplicity now more than anything. I care a lot about health so a lot of my work now finds inspiration in mindfulness & self healing. To me sharing a guided meditation on Instagram has the same impact as hiding a Rūmī poem in my artwork. I think it is quite a chance to ground yourself (if you can) in these powerful times and I am trying to spread that word.
~
Xinbei Li, Wuhan
人为生而食, 2020
是从1月21日那天早上醒来开始的吧，我看着手机里的新闻推送显示新型冠状病毒感染肺炎确诊291例，在其他省份出现了新型病毒肺炎病例、武汉新增2例死亡病例、发烧人员禁止离开武汉……我有点懵圈，此后每天铺天盖地的疫情新闻报道，感染人数直线上升，范围涉及全国……每次看到手机上满屏的推送新闻，标题简短，内容揪心。
1月23日，武汉封城。至今我看到这几个字，还是会红了眼眶。
微博热搜被疫情全面覆盖，每天刷微博必哭，开始感到焦虑，情绪十分低落。
2月3日，我记忆尤为深刻的一天，那天我看到一个关于这次疫情中让人印象深刻的一些视频的混剪，在深夜哭到不能自己，我特别悲伤的对朋友说：“满心期待的2020，开局全是泪。我看着在网络上挣扎求助的人，觉得无能为力深陷绝望，看着不畏生死奔赴一线的医护人员，又觉得职业的使命感让人真的太过伟大，真的可以做到牺牲小我，成全大家。”后来一段时间，我迫使自己不去过多关注新闻讯息而给自己太多压力，用看书、运动来转移自己的注意力，在读书软件中写下的评论获得很多人的点赞让我觉得，我真的没必要焦虑了，大家都在努力，全中国都在为同一件事情而做出力所能及的努力。我关注到了更多的正能量。在这场疫情中，我看到每一个中国人不放弃的样子，有自愿驱车数千公里为武汉送救援物资的平凡夫妻，有不计工资酬劳志愿建设医院的普通工人，有依然为这个城市奔波的外卖小哥，还有待在家中自觉隔离的每一个人……在一场大难中看到黑暗，也看到人性最朴素的光。
而后，经过居家隔离前期的焦虑，我适应了不出门的生活，在家中开始“苦中作乐”，全家上阵玩游戏，朋友们一起视频吃饭，“云监工”雷神山火神山医院的施工现场，到最近“云赏花”通过网络直播看武汉春天绽放的樱花……如今严冬已过，春暖花开，各省市驰援武汉的医疗队分批回家，越来越多的城市逐步恢复了正常秩序，武汉也在摁下暂停键后缓缓启动……
这一段终日待在家中百无聊赖却又如此不平凡的时光终将过去，苦难中开花，患难中见真情。这是“最好的时光”吗？我不知道，但我知道，每一段时光里都“逆行者”迎难而上，逆光中独自灿烂。
我，特别感谢，特别感恩。
It started when I woke up on the morning of January 21, Mobile phone have a fever of 291 cases. Novel coronavirus infection is diagnosed in the other 2 cases, new death cases in Wuhan, and no fever in Wuhan…… I'm a bit confused. Since then, the number of infected people has increased in a straight line, covering the whole country Every time I see the full screen push news on my mobile phone, the title is short and the content is worrying.
On January 23, Wuhan was closed. So far I see these words, or red eyes. Microblog hot search is covered by the epidemic. Every day when I watch microblog, I will cry. I begin to feel anxious and depressed.
On February 3, I remember a very deep day. On that day, I saw a mixed clip of some impressive videos about the epidemic. I couldn't cry myself in the middle of the night. I was very sad to say to my friends: "the 2020 that I am looking forward to is full of tears. I look at the people struggling for help on the Internet, and I feel powerless and hopeless. I look at the medical staff who are fearless of life and death and rush to the front line. I also feel that the sense of professional mission is really too great. I can really sacrifice the ego and complete everyone. " Later, I forced myself not to pay more attention to the news and put too much pressure on myself. I used reading and sports to divert my attention. The comments written in the reading software were praised by many people, which made me feel that I really didn't need to worry. Everyone was working hard, and the whole China was working hard for the same thing. I've focused on more positive energy. In this epidemic situation, I see every Chinese people who do not give up. There are ordinary couples who voluntarily drive thousands of kilometers to deliver relief materials to Wuhan, ordinary workers who volunteer to build hospitals without pay, take out boys who still run for the city, and everyone who is still in the conscious isolation at home…… In a great difficulty, we can see the darkness and the most simple light of human nature.
Then, after the anxiety in the early stage of home isolation, I adapted to the life of not going out. At home, I began to "work hard and have fun". The whole family played games, and friends had video meals together. At the construction site of "cloud overseer" Leishen mountain fire Shenshan hospital, I recently watched the cherry blossom blooming in spring in Wuhan through the network live broadcast…… Now that winter is over and spring is in full bloom, medical teams from all provinces and cities have returned home in batches. More and more cities have gradually restored normal order. Wuhan is also slowly starting after pressing the pause button……
This time of being bored at home all day long but so extraordinary will eventually pass, blooming in suffering and showing true love in adversity. Is this the "best time"? I don't know, but I know that in every period of time, the "reverse Walker" faces difficulties and goes up, alone in the reverse light.
I, thank you very much, thank you very much.
Translation by Xinbei Li
生生, 2020
Artists in Quarantine is an installment from AWC online, compiled by Hallie Frost
- IMAGE CREDITS
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Zheng Mengyuan
