In isolation with Jonas Mekas trilogy (2020-2021)

As the world faced successive lockdowns, the only glimpses of the outside came through the internet, creating a collective, unintentional global home movie. Family moments and strangers inviting us into their lives became a new norm. In this context, Jonas Mekas’ family portraits and stories took on new significance. The isolation and loneliness once felt by immigrants, the mundanity of everyday life—all mirrored the seclusion experienced worldwide during the pandemic.

For over five years, I had been working with found footage, and the idea for this series emerged naturally. My days, filled with a constant stream of images interrupted by news, mirrored the disjointed yet interconnected nature of the footage I collected. This video series is a compilation of these fragments, woven together with reflections on fear, the future, art, and loneliness.

Each clip serves as a testament to the shared human experience during the pandemic, highlighting how, despite physical separation, a collective narrative was being constructed. The series captures the essence of our times, where personal and global histories intertwined, creating a tapestry of resilience and introspection.

In drawing parallels to Mekas’ work, the series emphasizes the universality of human emotions. His films, which once chronicled the immigrant experience and the nuances of daily life, now resonate with a world that has tasted isolation and the simplicity of home-bound existence. The everyday moments, once taken for granted, became poignant reminders of connection and disconnection.

Through this series, I aim to explore the profound impact of the pandemic on our perception of normalcy and the ways we document our lives. It is a meditation on the role of art in capturing the ephemeral and the eternal, offering a space for contemplation amid the chaos. This project is not just a reflection on the past years but a chronicle of our collective journey through uncertainty and hope.