Published in connection with the NewsLetter from the Island and Creative Occupation 2020, this Special Edition invited artists and friends of South Channel Fort Island to send in their ‘voice’ as an expression during the COVID-19 isolating times (images, poetic writings and words could be sent in).
It’s important to view this time of COVID-19 from a variety of different emotions, experiences, locations, changing perceptions and questions arising. In May 2020, 25 postcards have been published from 8 contributors, images providing documentation of the experience of crisis,- how these conditions can be processed and endured in various ways.
A message to be sent personally
And yet it also extends into further artistic activity, - being a means of communication and a take on “social distancing”, these COVID-19 cards - when sent to someone personally - propose intimacy, a gesture of support or a meeting (that perhaps did not occur due to restrictions) along with a simple, caring message. Evolving from the idea of mutual support and exchange between originators, the cards can be an outlet of personal message writing and sending during COVID-19 and beyond.
The instruction for Series Two (Special Edition) read - “Send It to Friend.” Thematically the series is prompting to “Include a guiding note for your friend”, - this is responding to “guiding” that constitute one of the themes/ideas in Creative Occupation 2020 within journeys and visitation of site (the Island) over the year.
The idea of postcards is that they endorse a connecting event or special relation through distribution; despite overwhelming potential for access to communication and information, “the access” is really about something specific and meaningful, something that appears “found”, the finding matters as well as the contents of information.
The postcards from this special series are reproduced in the Postcards section - if there was a special way to write and send these cards digitally it would be amazing. I don’t have that solution as yet, maybe you do?
-Marita Batna, 20 May 2020
Image: Michael Morgan (photo, words).