‘Out of Lockdown’ – a group exhibition emerging from solitude

There is an old British World War II saying of some people ‘having a good war’. Without denying the widespread human suffering involved in Covid19, I have been wondering if some Aurovilians are ‘having a good Lockdown’, which could emerge from people stopping, taking an in-breath and potentially reconsidering their life direction. So when this exhibition was announced, I was intrigued to see what the creative fruits of this time would look like. 

Audrey of CREEVA who curated the exhibition was also aware that many Auroville artists generally do not have the time to paint, as they need to work service jobs for their livelihoods. They were suddenly freed up in those weeks of lockdown to express their muse. The exhibition’s remit was simply that the art was created in lockdown. 

Twenty-three different Aurovilian artists displayed artworks in a great variety of styles. Amongst many beautiful pieces, those that stood out include the beauty of Miki's tree spirit, perhaps hinting at the return to the earth that Covid brought in its wake. Orev's images burst with the potential power of a new world and also of nature's fullness. Giovanni's collages teem with a vitality and chaos that was another aspect of life stopping. Xinpeng's trilogy of parallel worlds captured some spirit wishing to emerge, with a hint of Tolkien and mythic journeys.