the covid-19 diaries series

As the first part of its online exhibition series, The COVID-19 Diaries Series, MiA Collective Art invited ten individuals in Beijing, Berlin, Brisbane, Los Angeles, New York, Seoul, Shenzhen, and Shen Yang to capture their daily lives and observations around the coronavirus from March 14 through March 22, 2020. During this period, more than 245,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over 170 countries and territories, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths. As of April 7, 2020, more than 1,347,330 cases of COVID-19 have been reported around the world, resulting in more than 74,768 deaths.¹ In less than three weeks, there has been a colossal surge of cases, which is, quite literally, unimaginable and shocking. The pandemic has changed the daily lives of people around the world.

Social distancing imposed by many authorities changed the way we interact with one another and became the norm during this abnormal period of time. Following Part I: Isolation, MiA Collective Art presents Part II: New Normal as the second exhibition of The COVID-19 Diaries Series, in which participants observed what has become the new norm in their daily lives as a result of this pandemic from April 9 through April 23, 2020. Part II: New Normal is composed of fifteen creatives - Jeanette Bisshops, Alison Chen, Hao Chen, Martin Ebner & Ariane Müller, Sooj Heo, Orange Li, Silvia Li, Yiwei Lu, Xingrong Qiao, kate-hers RHEE, José Soto, Marlies Pöschl, Koji Ueda, and Yichen Zhou. From Amsterdam, Beijing, Berlin, Gui Yang, Los Angeles, New York, Tokyo, Shen Yang, Vienna to Wuhan, each creative shares their views on what this new normal means to them. 

In this time of uncertainty and confusion, we believe that creative endeavor is needed more than ever. While a series of virtual exhibitions do not mean the same as seeing art in person, the goal of this series of online exhibitions is to stay connected by sharing the moments and making an effort to inspire one another. 

The COVID-19 Diaries Series is organized and curated by Grace Noh and Yichen Zhou, Co-Founders of MiA Collective Art.

¹ "Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases," Johns Hopkins University, March 20, 2020.