100 Lockdown Portraits

March/April/May 2020.
Almost 4 billion people in the world are forced home at the moment. (Data from early April).
This is not intended to be an exhaustive collection of the experience of the lockdown caused by the Covid19 emergency, it would not be possible. I am aware that many people are experiencing this quarantine in a much more distressing way, people to whom perhaps I will never have access or that do not feel like participating in a moment of pain or mourning. It is a small window on this global experience, although the effects of this condition have impacted differently on each individual – for economic, psychological, practical, social, geographical, political reasons – we are having a strong collective experience. In these days I have often wondered what my place was as a photographer in this historical moment. The next step was to find a new way of doing what I can do: portraits. Using the only means that I have available in the era of social distancing and staying at home. When I started this series of “shared” portraits, I naturally turned to friends to tell lockdown stories in the world. I then moved on to a different phase of the work, portraying strangers. It is an interesting and strong experience. We have never met before, they open their houses to me, sometimes still in pajamas, they show me around. We decide together where to photograph, we set up the frame, they put their hands in it and I put my eyes in it. We find ourselves talking for the first time about this incredible situation we are experiencing. So I “traveled” to all continents except Antarctica (the only one who escaped the pandemic), photographed people and families of many types, spacious houses and 10sq ft apartments, covid positive people and healed people, essential and smart workers, people in layoff, students, pensioners and more. These are their portraits and their considerations.
All the portraits are taken via screenshot using their webcam or smartphone.