'THE NEW NORMAL'- VISIONS OF A WORLD POST COVID-19 - UCL AND OPENDEMOCRACY COMPETITION 2020

Open Democracy collaborated with UCL to hold a multi-disciplinary competition allowing students from ages 14 up until Ma Students to submit their vision for a world post covid-19. The competition was split into image, video or written submissions. 

My entry for the image category reflected a dark graphic presentation of the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on our social ability and personal image. The poster depicts a ‘dining pod’ something that is becoming increasingly common as restaurants begin to re-open, but with food delivered completely contactless in domes via conveyor belt.

 

Therefore these daily rituals have been stripped of the human interaction and connection that make them so enjoyable. We as individuals without these daily interactions will become increasingly separated from each other and suspicious of interaction. This response has already become evident in the temporary measures put in place to limit contact between people and with it came an air of anti-socialness and coldness. The poster also depicts this as a continuation of the separation and anti-social behaviours associated with social media, and the contrast between upholding an ‘Instagram image’ and real life. The women in the poster are shooting happy and stylized photos for their online presences, creating a rose-tinted view of the dark and isolated experience we can actually see. 

I enjoyed playing with a completely new graphic style for this pieces, using neon and black to create darker and more uncomfortable imagery.