%C2%A9 Piotr Szyhalski %2F Labor Camp
Digital files on a flash driveexpand_more
Gift of funds from Mary and Bob Merskyexpand_more 2021.1.1-225
On March 24, 2020, in direct response to the global coronavirus pandemic, artist Piotr Szyhalski created his first COVID-19: Labor Camp Report. What started as a single drawing slowly morphed into a daily practice, a way to reconcile and record the thoughts, feelings, and change being wrought in the world. These ink drawings and hand-lettered texts were shared daily by Szyhalski on Instagram, poignantly capturing our politically fraught and painful landscape over the course of 225 days. Accompanied by powerful captions by the artist, the series operates as both a witness to the current crisis and a container of time, time that is both labored and lost.
These daily dispatches, shared with thousands via social media platforms, serve as a way of witnessing, processing, and recording the complexities of life during the first eight months of the global COVID-19 pandemic. At times harsh and confrontational, other times quiet and contemplative, the Reports map multiple layers of interwoven historical phenomena: from the global health crisis, economic inequities, and the uprising following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police to environmental catastrophes and the waning days of the autocratic regime in the United States.
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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© Piotr Szyhalski / Labor Camp