News #pandemic

Wow, there are lots of news about the 'virus' project! 

You can see them now online on the website of the Counterweave Gallery in Rome as part of their exhibition about the lock down 

https://counterweave.com/artunderlockdown/antje-rook-a-virus-a-day/ 

They are also  in a virtual exhibition on the B-side festival website, but also as a poster on display in the B-side Outpost on the Isle of Portland.

https://b-side.org.uk/news/socially-distanced-exhibition-opportunity-launched-0 

I 'm in contact with the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester and that's where the 'viruses' will go as part of a collection to show, how people coped during the Pandemic.

Just recently the whole 'virus' project got a new meaning. 

Every day I sit down to make my 'virus' of the day, I think about my friend Roger, who died of the virus.It was such a shock and he is missed so much by everyone who knew him. I thought that many, many people all over the world feel like this, and it would be nice to remember all the people who did and will not survive the pandemic. My small contribution to this is, that I started stitching the names of people , who sadly lost their life, on the 'virus' project. I announced this on social media and I got some really heartbreaking letters and stories. 

Please don't hesitate to contact me, if you want a lost loved one included.

You can contact me here on the website, on Facebook or on Instagram!

THE VIRUS PROJECT - A VIRUS A DAY

Just at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak, it was obvious, that my husband and I had to shield immediately due to his Leukemia.

At that point we didn't know how long we would have to be in isolation, but because I watched every single film about Pandemics available :-) ( my favourite is still 'Outbreak', with  Dustin Hoffman), I knew it would not be a matter of a few weeks.

As a creative mind, I always need to have some kind of creative project going on and that's why I started the 'Virus Project'

A virus a day - for every day in isolation, that was the plan!

After 3 days I had the idea to use the project to raise money for a good cause and set up a fundraising page.  The cause closest to my heart was our local hospital in Dorchester, the place where we would  be treated, if we would catch the virus.  

For every £20 donation, I would give a framed virus to the donor.

You can imagine how surprised, and also hurt and angry I was, when I was asked by the charity department  of the hospital to take down my page. They found it inappropriate to offer 'viruses!

Well, they are entitled to decide where their donations come from and therefore I changed my plan, set up a new fundraising page , directly for the NHS and raised £500 within a short time.

I still make a virus every day and many people buy them, because they see, that these little artworks might have a historical significance, because they document the Pandemic 2020.

The viruses will also go on display with  https://b-side.org.uk/ 

I also sent them to the  Dorset County Archives,  they were looking for diaries of any kind about the pandemic.

Here are some 'virus' examples!