LolliHOPE

‘LolliHOPE’, Aluminum Dye Sublimation, 120 X 80 cm (48 X 32 inches), 2020.

"Throw the glass on the wall and see it broken" is one of those sentences that prove funny when tested by a computer, to which it is unclear whether the pronoun ‘it’ refers to the wall or to the glass.

The horrible corona era that all of humanity is now experiencing, made me think of this sentence. In my mind I have seen the COVID-19 virus as an indestructible, iron-shielded and immense concrete wall, all clad with dirt and moss. Nevertheless, this malicious wall is demolished by the long-awaited vaccine that in our case is represented by a lollipop candy, the pink and glazed type that I love so much - LolliHOPE. It symbolizes here the uncompromising and unceasing fight against the virus, and the vaccine that will exterminate it. I therefore catapulted this LolliHOPE in the direction of the monstrous, massive and repulsive concrete wall, overjoyed to see it shattering the wall, paving the way to a new and wonderful world.

It is clear to me that our post-corona world will not be the same as the one we lived in prior to the corona age. The collective memory associated with disasters tends to be short-lived, a kind of defense mechanism to keep us safe. Therefore, my hope is that not only will the vaccine be found soon, but also that the traces left behind by the virus will fade and disappear completely, so that we return to the good old world we have always known. Indeed, one can note that our LolliHOPE breaks the shielded wall and is still complete and flawless, not even a scratch. Moreover, the glaze that wraps the candy reflects what is expected in that post virus age - a living, pulsating and flourishing world.