Art in Isolation: Creativity in the Time of Covid-19

Introduction

Photo credit: Muffled, 2020, Helen Zughraib (Courtesy of the artist)

Art in Isolation: Creativity in the Time of Covid-19 was the MEI Art Gallery’s first ever open call show, paying tribute to the experiences and reflections of artists from the Middle East and its diaspora during a period of global crisis.

Curated by Laila Abdul-Hadi Jadallah, multiple themes emerged in the selection: among them, an emphasis on found materials given the lack of access artists had to their studios; a focus on the interior world, as artists found themselves isolated inside their homes in countries where quarantines were strictly enforced; and the intersection of war and the pandemic, with several of the artists experiencing both simultaneously. The artists represented here turned their state of isolation into a rich palette of reflections, imaginary worlds, and biting critiques about a moment in time that has left an indelible mark on all of our lives.

The exhibition has now closed, but the full works can be viewed online.