Page 10 - The Black Box Book

PANDEMIC

https://doi.org/10.5817/CZ.MUNI.M280-0225-2022-1

When reports began to emerge in early 2020 of the rapid spread of a high-
ly contagious and highly unpredictable new type of coronavirus, the world
froze in terror as images of the end of civilization surfaced in our anxious
imaginations, images that emerged like memories of apocalyptic films that
penetrated our attention through both old and new media. A global pan-
demic that spreads quickly over the world due to the heavy air traffic and
the transportation of commodities worldwide has transpired as a threat to
our enormously complex and consequently fragile globalized civilization.
The use of masks, later superseded by more effective respirators
and limiting human interaction, were the main strategies employed to
restrict the spread of coronavirus infection. Schools, theatres, cine-
mas, art galleries, sports venues, airports, hotels, bars, restaurants, and
stores (apart from those selling gardening materials) were shut down or
severely limited. These extraordinary circumstances have made possible
the acceleration of digitalization and the shift to online in perhaps all
areas. Teachers started offering lessons online. Restaurant menus were
modified to accommodate delivery services. But what could artists and
the cultural community as a whole do in such a situation?
Governments have attempted to preserve these severely pan-
demic-affected sectors through various financial support progams for
promoting culture and the arts under these conditions. But can theatre
be performed using Zoom? Can the art of dancing be disseminated on
YouTube similarly to online yoga lessons for computer users looking
to unwind? Is the presentation of artworks on Facebook or Instagram
an alternative to visiting an exhibition venue, or does it instead degrade
the event into an experience that oscillates between edutainment, charity
fundraising for the impoverished, and an e-commerce platform? These
11