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Zooming In on COVID-19

2020-08-10byXuShuyuan

China Pictorial 2020年7期

by Xu Shuyuan

The spread of the virus respects neither borders nor race. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak caught everyone by surprise by striking over 210 countries and regions this year, affecting more than seven billion people and claiming more than 400,000 lives (as of June 21, 2020).

On June 29, 2020, an online photo exhibition titled “Zooming In on COVID-19: Unforgettable Moments in the Global Fight Against the Pandemic” was launched in Beijing, China. Scheduled to run for six months, the exhibition is part of a series of international online exchange activities organized by China International Publishing Group amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The online photo exhibition transcends the limits of time and space to show various aspects of how life has been impacted by the pandemic. Photographers around the world have recorded with their cameras the disordered life and unusual moments during the pandemic.

“Photos are fragments of time,” said Chinese photographer Liu Yu. “When these fragments are spliced together, they become a relatively complete picture. In another time, people will recall what happened in Wuhan during this special period. What I endeavored to do is to provide a fragment.”

These photographic masterpieces were gathered from media outlets and photographers based in severely hit countries including China, South Korea, Egypt, France, Italy, Russia, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, and the United States.

“I was honored for the chance to capture the stories of different groups during the COVID-19 outbreak,”said Mexican photographer Marco Peláez. “The disease caught the world by surprise, but we are slowly learning how to deal with it. This exhibition is part of our drive to deliver global anti-epidemic action with cameras.”

The spread of the virus respects neither borders nor race. Solidarity and cooperation are the most powerful weapons to fight the COVID-19 pandemic that spreads worldwide and causes an enormous threat to life. As Chinese photographer Cao Xu noted, “Few may have the opportunity to stand together with an entire city through thick and thin in their lives.”

These photos shine light on the heavy price paid by humans in the fight against the raging coronavirus. They document heartwarming acts of mutual assistance, monumental courage on the front lines, and the tremendous strength of human society to overcome the pandemic. “When our homes became shelters, looking outside became a gaze into an uncertain future,” said Italian photographer Max Intrisano.“Finding appreciation for so many things we took for granted has been true happiness. Through a camera I can feel the silence of the street and the absence of people—a sort of temporal suspension.”

The images also shed light on some of the most striking expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and support in difficult times, demonstrating that mankind is a community of common health that shares weal and woe.

“In this special period, I seek not just a picture with perfect composition of harmonious light and shade,” said Chinese photographer Chen Liming.“Even images may not be able to describe sorrow and strength during the disaster, but I always hope that when I click the shutter, I am preserving a memory of the battle against the pandemic.”

“I have seen the glorious side of human nature,”said China Pictorial photographer Duan Wei, recalling his time in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China. “In the face of difficulties, people made major sacrifices for the benefit of others. I have seen the courage of humankind. When we encounter danger, we fight together and refuse to yield.”

No winter lasts forever, and no spring skips its turn. The shadows of the coronavirus will surely disperse one day, but some faces will be remembered, some moments will be treasured, and some questions will be answered.