Category: black lives matter

Social distancing – Week 11: The state of our lives

 

In the past weeks, we saw people dying from a new virus. We locked ourselves in our homes and started wearing masks to protect us and our beloved. We started working remotely, and everything went digital. We met on Zoom and had virtual dinners with friends. Exhibitions and art fairs have been converted into VR. Private views happened online. Museum collections have been made accessible to the public online. Gallerists, artists, critics, and collectors talked on live streams. Podcasts and online Yoga sessions boomed. Many of us lost their jobs. Many of us have been furloughed. Nearly two million people claimed Universal Credits. Air transport has been stopped, and planes grounded. We pledged for the universal basic income. We mourned for the killing of George Floyd.  “Please, I can’t breathe” reached the ears of the whole world but the ones of his murderer, the policeman Derek Chauvin. Rage stirred up our hearts. We flooded the streets to protest in support on BLM and against systemic racism. We tore down colonialist monuments of slave-traders. City officials boarded up monuments in London to prevent further damage. Far-right supporters arrived in London to counteract BLM protesters. Protecting British monuments was their pretence. “All lives can’t matter until black lives matter”. We have been alone but together. Parks are full of litter and oceans of plastic. Climate change and global warming are still happening. Our planet is still in an emergency. Now we are preparing for the reopening. Lockdown rules have been relaxed. From Monday, some art Galleries will open again by appointment only. We keep using masks. Planes are still mainly grounded. Anyone entering the UK has to self-isolate for 14 days. France closes its borders to Britons reciprocally. BA, Easy Jet, and Ryanair combined to sue the government over the quarantine. The country GDP reached its lowest record in history (-20% in April). Recession is knocking. Brexit trade meetings are ongoing. Turmoil is the state in which we live.

Social distancing – Week 10: Days of Protests

On Monday 25th May in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the policeman Derek Chauvin, held his knee to George Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd kept repeating “Please, I can’t breathe”, but Chauvin did not listen to the imploring man. By the time the paramedics arrived, it was too late. George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was dead.

The murder has been filmed, and its video went viral straight away, stirring the anger of thousands. Soon, enraged protests sparked in Minneapolis and in response, president Trump threatened black American citizens with barbaric murdering by tweeting: “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.” As a result, protests took place all over the country, also counting several episodes of violence. In an attempt to counteract violence in the streets, on Monday 1st June, NY Mayor De Blasio, announced a citywide curfew (the last curfew was put in place in 1943). Since the curfew announcement, protesters got together against police brutality and systemic racism worldwide.

The makeshift memorial outside Cup Foods where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer
MINNEAPOLIS , MINNESOTA – MAY 31: The mural and makeshift memorial outside Cup Foods where George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer on Sunday, May 31, 2020 in Minneapolis , Minnesota. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

The art world rose its voice in solidarity with rioters too. Alongside joining demonstrations, artists have been painting murals in Floyd’s memory in the US, Europe, Syria, and elsewhere. Email inboxes flooded with newsletters stating the organisation’s support to the Black Lives Matter movement. Emails which often include tips on how to safely protest amidst the threat of Coronavirus.

In Minnesota, the Walker art Centre and the Minneapolis Institute of Art have pledged to cut ties with the Minneapolis Police Department by stopping hiring police at their events. Collecteurs – the collective museum of private collections based in NYC – converted its Instagram profile into a live archive of the BLM movement. Their Instagram page showcases historical images related to black people long-lasting fight for their rights as well as real-time footage of current protests. Cultural organisations from around the world are campaigning in support of BLM. These vastly share bail funds and reading lists to inform their audience while providing the tools to help protesters.

All these are just some example of an overall soft contribution. However, hopefully these small actions will lead to a more radical change within an industry which is still predominantly white.

Raised fist – black power symbol – image taken from Pinterest