The Corona memorial “It is like it is”

A tiny virus, a twenty thousand times thinner than a human hair, has done what the great and powerful of this world like to dream of: it dominates all thoughts. Without exception.

Nobody, no matter from which social class, no matter whether young or old, can avoid the topic of “Corona” these days. It haunts us all the time, right into our dreams. A deadly equalizer that brings people in line and unites them in a way never seen before. In their fear, their losses, their loneliness and need.

The installation “It is like it is” makes the incomprehensible tangible. Mannequins, at the beginning of the year still displaying the exuberant abundance of life-affirming, colorful clothing in the shop windows, are now standing together, only distinguishable in size and surrounded by an aura of hopelessness.

Red and white fluttering tape documents the insurmountable separation that the currently restricted life and the curtailment of fundamental rights of all people bring. A familiar community is broken down into a herd of individuals, all separated, and each yearning for familiar intimacy.

“It is like it is” shows in a touching way the high status of art. Already important and valuable in everyday life, it is a valuable element in the struggle for survival of society right now. Because it connects where there is no longer a connection, and it strengthens our confidence because it makes visible what is haunting our thoughts as a faceless, dark ghost.

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Memorial made of 111 masked mannequins

A memorial inspired by the current corona crisis. What should be reminded? The installation calls for more appreciation. More appreciation for yourself, your environment and your fellow human beings, family and friends. We shouldn’t take anything for granted, realize how valuable everything around us is and consider how quickly social life can change around us.

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Of course I know your installation from the press and from eyewitness accounts. I find this project extremely good. It is absolutely up-to-date in terms of content, form and colour, it catches the eye, it arouses interest, arouses curiosity and encourages comments, or better: conversations. I say a big compliment to you. It gets a lot going as a surprise and in its pop appearance.” Prof. Dr. Frank Günter Zehnder | Art Historian for Medieval and Contemporary Art – Former Director of the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Bonn

“Your interpretation is truly remarkable – no, stunningly appealing. The installation conveys exactly the feeling of Corona. And it does so through a means that is as incredibly simple as it is compelling.” — Felicitas Bixby; The PR agents – Stuttgart

“As simple as it is ingenious” — Visitors on the spot

“GENIAL” The sexton from Limburg an der Lahn Cathedral