Els Dietvorst
(c)Els Dietvorst, photo: Els Dietvorst, Bannow, 2020
April 17th, 2020
Covid19 Temple – an poignant homage by the sea.
Wexford-based Belgian artist Els Dietvorst - whose recent exhibition “Dooltocht: a desperate quest to find a base for hope” at M HKA in Antwerp celebrated her last 20 years as an artist – has created a “shrine” composed of white stones to honour those who have suffered due to the current pandemic.
Els Dietvorst, who lives by the sea in a low-populated area of Wexford, encountered a couple of stones that a girl had inscribed with the words: “Covid 19” and “I am bored.” Els then felt inspired to place several white stones around it and she kept doing it every day. After a week of working on it, Els noticed that anonymous walkers had also been contributing to the temple. She started this project in March and now the installation has well over 500 stones.
There are many sacred places throughout the world where pilgrims used to travel to in an effort to connect to a special energy. Covid19 Temple is nested in a memorable place that can only be reached after walking for thirty minutes in a desolate area. It entails a different kind of pilgrimage. One that shows how despite the fact that our world is a completely different place from what it was 4 months ago, the need to connect and honour those who suffer is greater than ever.
Els’s prolific body of work has always had at its core issues such as massive migration, social conflict, homelessness, nature, climate change, and our own mortality. She prefers to work in collaboration with others so it is only fitting that despite current limitations Els organically found a way to continue working “with others” in the creation of a “temple”.
Art historian Karla Sánchez said: “Coivd 19 Temple is not only touching and meaningful to Els Dietvorst but to all of us. As our humanity is tested more than ever in this generation we have to keep reaching out for one another, even from a distance, and find hope in our company.”