Waynesburg University exhibit a memorial to the losses of COVID-19
An exhibit at the Benedum Fine Arts Gallery at Waynesburg University stands as a memorial to the grief and loss brought on by COVID-19.
“A Long Etcetera” features work created during the pandemic by Colombian artist Javier Flechas.
“The big cities were transformed into huge detention centers and we became prisoners of our own homes,” Flechas said of the early days of the pandemic. “Some of us were even condemned to be absolutely alone, away from our loved ones, and it is there, in this scenario, that I decided to record it with my drawings, the size of this tragedy that at first was perceived as something foreign, but then became something personal.”
Like many around the world, Flechas said he sat at the television, listening to the daily death toll.
“I drew frantically a garden that quickly grew in size. A garden where each flower gave a body to those numbers that the newscasts enunciated so coldly,” he said.
Each drawing was given a number, until “thousands of flowers were gathered in the same garden.”
When he finished the drawings, more than 120,000 Columbians had died.
“While this work came from a time Javier spent alone and it represents how he has been processing this grief and pain brought on by the pandemic, it’s still something we can all relate to,” said Emily Wiedner, a lecturer in art at WU.
“Flowers are offerings we give to each other as a sign of love during times of happiness and grief,” she noted.
Those who attend the exhibit are invited to color a flower in memory of a loved one who died during the pandemic. A card will then be filled out for that person and placed under the work.
Those unable to attend the exhibit who would still like to participate can follow this link to have a flower made in a loved one’s memory: https://www.waynesburg.edu/news/benedum-fine-arts-gallery-features-international-artist.
The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Visitors can schedule a time to view the exhibit by calling 724-852-3274, said Director of University Relations Ashley Wise. The exhibit will be on display through Feb. 18,
Guests are asked to wear a mask when attending.