initiative is raising awareness about racism in healthcare and fighting Covid-19-related misinformation through art.
With the support of the French Ministry of Culture and nonprofit organization PhotoWings, the initiative, launched in partnership with CatchLight and The Everyday Projects, international media agency Dysturb, the team is currently developing an educational guide focused on fake news and media literacy. The booklet should be available in September.
“We use social media and public art activations like paste-ups, posters, and murals to encourage people to follow World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and to connect health messages to daily life,” said Benjamin Petit.
campaign
is the result of an open call initiated in March were artists around the world were invited to submit pieces addressing popular Covid-19 misconceptions, while other materials aimed to raise awareness around the importance of social justice, frequent handwashing, mental health care, and more.
As world leaders continue to grapple with Covid-19, a second threat is rapidly emerging — that of misinformation and fake news. A group of 40 artists from Pretoria, have launched a virtual art exhibition titled Mask on! Mask off! Mask on!,
The Pretoria News reported
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According to project coordinator Jahni Wasserfall, The idea for the project came during lockdown level 5 as they felt the need to collaborate with fellow artists to create awareness for the necessity of wearing a cloth mask, but also to hold up a mirror to society and the difficult time it was going through.
The brief was: “2020 – the ‘year of the Mask’, love it, hate it, believe in it, or not – (it’s) a reality we are stuck within this moment of time ... your opportunity to protest, comment or alternatively beautify this obtrusive object that is so ‘in (or on!) your face’!,” said Wasserfall.
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