Yiduo Zhang
The Shell
Prompt: Create a 3D work in response to the current covid pandemic
Whether and when to wear a face mask has been one of the most fraught and divisive debates of the pandemic, from the early days against masking to the anti-masker protests of summer 2020, and the current, oddly angry public debates about when people should stop wearing masks outside. I aim to visualize the psychological struggle of individuals behind these masks. I used the shell as a metaphor for the mental shelter that weakens the pressures to uphold strict standards of grooming and appearance. The eyeballs represent the way people recognize each other during the pandemic. Eye contact becomes a form of nonverbal communication and influences our social behavior. There are two legs painted in faint skin colors that are trapped inside the shell. It communicates the loss of ability due to limited physical activities. Overall, the work is constructed on a base shaped like a covid cell; represents the struggled human state and way of life in the current pandemic.