Plugged Out City

CHRIS BELFIORE

Image courtesy of Chris Belfiore

The chaos starting around March 2020 brought our dear city to a halt. The infrastructure and crucial gathering places that are essential to the workings of this dynamic metropolis were for all intents and purposes ‘offline’. What ensued was a months-long process of reimagining the way business is conducted, food is eaten, friends socialize, and classes are held. Although these ad-hoc measures allow us to get by, the process has been disorienting. The connection to others has been flimsy. As we begin to return to Pre-Covid Life, I reflect on this transitory, virtual space we all inhabited together for the past year.

The three-dimensional masses were composed in Sketchup. When the composition was complete, I printed a copy and overlaid more elements using Micron pen and Prismacolor markers. The large rectangular masses represent the pre-COVID built environment, and are colored gray to represent how it is “offline.” The swirling, wirelike element, along with the other floating elements are brightly colored to represent the temporary and quickly mobilized measures to allow our society to continue to run and are brightly colored for this reason.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *