The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped urban life, and so too has it left many streets and buildings empty as people practice social distancing. From Times Square to the Place de la Concorde in Paris, photographers are capturing these "empty cities" in a defining moment across the globe. In turn, The New York Times recently published a piece dubbed "The Great Empty", showcasing a new side to urban life in these structures and streets. Now five photographers have been commissioned to photograph Rotterdam during the pandemic.
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The Droom en Daad Foundation has asked Khalid Amakran, Loes van Duijvendijk, Willem de Kam, Geisje van der Linden and Marwan Magroun to photograph Rotterdam during the COVID-19 pandemic. These five photographers from Rotterdam will each make a photographic series that shows the unprecedented impact of the corona virus on the city and its inhabitants.
The Foundation has outlined that the measures that have been taken to control the coronavirus outbreak impact daily life around the world in a major way. Between now and the beginning of May 2020, the five photographers will each create a series of ten images. Combined, the photographic series will provide an overview of the current situation in the city. When the series are completed the photographs will be presented in a publication or an exhibition. Afterwards the images will become a part of the collection of the Municipal Archives of Rotterdam.
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As the Foundation states, a substantial part of the cultural sector consists of freelancers. They often have limited reserves, and due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in many cases their income has come to a complete standstill. Because of this, the Droom en Daad Foundation has given assignments to cultural freelancers, including photographers. By asking photographers to portray Rotterdam and its inhabitants during the corona outbreak, the Droom en Daad Foundation on the one hand wants to make sure this historic period in time is captured and on the other aims to support freelance photographers who are affected greatly by the current crisis.
News via Droom en Daad Foundation
We invite you to check out ArchDaily's coverage related to COVID-19, read our tips and articles on Productivity When Working from Home and learn about technical recommendations for Healthy Design in your future projects. Also, remember to review the latest advice and information on COVID-19 from the World Health Organization (WHO) website.
