letters from the pandemic #2 April 17 2020

Surreal, the few cars on the highways, signs reading ‘Stop the Spread”, the empty streets, the few people walking around, wearing face masks and rubber gloves, the controlled entries and lines at the grocery stores, the not abating blare of the ambulances rushing along the thoroughfares to the hospitals - we’re living inside of a dystopian movie.

It has been 31 days, since we first followed the NY government new rules of engagement, or better disengagement - social distancing - and using all precautions necessary to minimize the danger of infection with the virus.

So far we were lucky and we hope it stays this way.

The crisis will pass, New Yorkers have shown an impressive resilience and unity in the face of it and have been largely doing the right things. The toll we paid, has been heavy so far, more than 11,000 NYC residents have passed away, the new rules have been extended by the Governor until May 15. These are grim news which come alongside the mental stress, we are all experiencing, and the growing material insecurity for most of us.

We have seen what it means to have a functioning, responsible and effective government on the state level, and we have seen chaos on the local and of course, a much expected, chaos and corruption on the federal level.

This crisis has brought forward the need for the restoration of our system and for a competent and functioning government on the base of our constitution.

I keep saying that art is the one thing which projects into the future and is a pledge to the stability of our system, clearly superfluous when people die on the streets, but instrumental for the survival of Western culture, our sanity and spiritual well being.

We are trying to keep the lights on and to that extend I have teemed up with Angelica Semmelbauer of Ellipsis Art and we have made some of my works available at a reduced price - Ellipsis and Artsy waving their commissions, go and take a look: EllipsisArt on Artsy