Artwork prevails through global pandemic

Lucie Michel, Staff Writer

There is no need to be really into art to appreciate a pretty image when you see one. 

Art is a way to escape from the world but also to deeply dive into it at the same time. Art is everything, everywhere, and for everyone. COVID has been a struggle for the art world. You may think the art industry is dying, but the deep meaning and process of creating art and being sensitive to it is part of human essence and cannot disappear.

If you’re not into art you might think studying its history is boring. However, the history of art tells us that a work always has something interesting to say. Art gives an account of the human condition, individually and collectively. It makes us understand our history better and tells us about men’s evolution. Artwork often has a purpose, and it can actually participate in creating history. In our modern society, many artists use their talents to make a statement and claim their opinion in what in French is called “l’art engage,” or art that engages the viewer and takes a stand. 

In 2008, Luciano Garbati of Argentina created the statue Medusa with the head of Perseus. The work is a revisit of the 16th Century statue Perseus with the Head of Medusa. The first statue represents the mythological history of the woman who’s been raped, and then punished and hated for it. Garbati decided to give her justice by reversing roles.

The statue became a symbol of the MeToo movement against sexual assault and abuse.  A replica has been placed in New York in front of a criminal court building, after Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s court case, in which he was accused of the sexual assault and rape of more than 85 women. 

So even though museums have been closed for almost a year, art is still everywhere around us and artists continue to say what needs to be said.