CONCEPT
Our home is not a limitation, it’s our world.
Starting from this consideration we paid more attention to the
small details.
Thus 20c19 is born, from an involuntary collaboration,
almost like a game. Two different entities in two different moments.
Thinking in an autonomous, separate,
distanced way, reflecting on real, daily, familiar images.
The report at the start of each chapter is a commentary on the
pictures, posted weekly on social media, which became
a recurring correspondence.
This is a project made to remind us, mostly to
ourselves, that observing the details always brings
new thoughts to reflect on.
REPORT OF THE FIRST WEEK
Until today your days have been bombarded with
news, images, prompts, ideas, work, school, gym.
A chaotic coming and going that set the rhythm
to your life.
This first week moved quickly. I have to say that between pizza,
baked goods and homemade pasta, being locked in the house
and unplugging is not that bad.
(Just a little bit boring, but they say it won’t last long,
“strength and courage”, “together we’ll make it!”)
You made a puzzle… I haven’t seen one since 2005.
REPORT OF THE SECOND WEEK
What were you afraid of?
You got back into reading, a classic, and finally you found
the time to play around with the little Baghera,
she must have felt alone during this exam session
since you were always busy studying
Then a couple of little projects on the computer, just so you don’t
lose the hang of it and obviously the ever-present homemade pasta.
I have to say you’re keeping busy!
(It's going to be okay! More or less.)
REPORT OF THE THIRD WEEK
The boredom of routine starts to set in: first bed, then kitchen, bathroom, bed,
then maybe I’ll eat, then bed again, memes on Barbara D’Urso,
then bed and the flashmob on the balcony, on loop everyday.
Waking up you look outside your window, maybe searching for
somebody or something that can remind you that
there’s still life out there… It rains, It’s not unusual for this time of year,
after all even the nursery rhyme says that March is a bit crazy
when it comes to weather. Your house is completely empty, quiet,
almost at peace, both inside and outside.
At my house my mother is struggling with Zoom,
she doesn’t want to fall behind with work, and between
video calls she asks me why she can’t enter the
virtual room, or how to silence her microphone.
At the same time my brother plays Playstation during
Italian class, pausing only when called…
How sly!
Meanwhile the apples you bought at the start of the week
are beginning to spoil.
REPORT OF THE FOURTH WEEK
You finally did your laundry, it was time to
get out of bed and wear something other
than pajamas. During these dreary weeks black tea has
become a must. Anyhow I think your phone must be
broken, because that’s the only explanation
as to why you dug out this vintage-looking one,
complete with a cord and Grandma’s doily.
It brings back good memories of entire
afternoons spent twirling the phone cord between my fingers
and then trying to untangle it during long, long
phone calls. Now we have Whatsapp
and continuously videocalling our relatives, we almost
talk more than before. It seems like it’s doing us good!
It’s almost 6pm, time for the flashmob on the balcony
REPORT OF THE FIFTH WEEK
A happy little family of ladybugs came to keep you
company. You turned on the lights, it was dark, certainly
you didn’t want to step on them. Maybe those little
wooden ladybugs are the only thing cheering you up in
this endless quarantine.
Today I turned on the heating, outside the sun is shining but it’s cold.
I have been wearing a sweatshirt and a blanket at home for a month.
It’s April, we should be outside chasing butterflies.
But as a result of always keeping the lights on, the light
bulbs on the ceiling light and the table lamp blew out, it was time
to change them. It seems even the sun changed its
light bulbs, but ones with billions and billions of lumens;
an insane amount of light comes from outside, fortunately you have those
new curtains! It had to happen this year that we have
plenty of sun for Easter and Easter Monday.
Have you finished the spot to hang your pot holders?
REPORT OF THE SIXTH WEEK
You know, today I had a nightmare: we had to stay
locked inside for forty days! Oh no…. I’m now receiving
word that it is not a dream
If last week you had the ladybugs keeping you
company, the protagonist of this week is a
shining yellow 500. It reminds me a little of the one from Lupin III,
maybe this is why it is so charming. As a contender
for the title we have a small wooden elephant:
Look out! Look out! Pink elephants on parade.
Are there any new and interesting pastimes this week?
Yes, untangling the headphone’s cord and a Briscola tournament
with mom and dad!
REPORT OF THE SEVENTH WEEK
The dictionary reports under the entry “Quarantine” the
following definition: “ a period of segregation and
observation to which are subjected individuals,
animals or things considered being able to bring
or detain germs of infectious diseases; the name
originates from its duration of forty days”.
Then why has it been forty-five days?
At the start of the week there was a clear sign that the
lockdown is ending and that spring is coming.
You turned off the heating. What a shame
that Nature caught you off guard and
dropped the temperature drastically during the weekend.
You even changed out your winter wardrobe for summer.
In your yellow drawer the the light clothes and in your blue
drawer the dark ones. Just to add a bit of suspense
to these days… Now everytime you have to choose what to wear
it will feel like you’re inside Matrix: blue pill or red pill?
But it’s Friday, which means, for who works,
it’s time for Netflix and a blanket!
REPORT OF THE EIGHT WEEK
It’s official, the 4th of May phase two starts,
our time of forced isolation is over.
If at the start we were a bit scared, this quarantine
has proved to be “comfortable” if sometimes boring.
We got used to a more relaxed routine, made
of small gestures. Going out to the office
everyday will seem strange now.
Meanwhile delivery services keep working non-stop.
You took up online shopping, searching for something to
show off at the first opportunity, when everything
is over and, to cite the most famous genius, billionaire, playboy,
philanthropist to ever live, when “something like a normal
version of the planet has been restored, if there ever was
such a thing”.
Looking out of the window you breathe in the scent of
spring…. Ah yes, that’s right. Perfumes!
You decided to buy a perfume, to add to
your collection.
