Mid December 2019 a virus makes its appearance in China. Known as Covid-19 (or SARS COV 2 for you scientists) this virus will quickly make his way across Europe. In Paris, where I was at the time of the events, the virus started spreading by the end of January 2020. By the second week of March 2020 the pandemic starts picking up pace with roughly 7000 dead, and Europe is quickly becoming the center of the infectious disease.
17th of March 2020 will be the date at which the first of three Lockdowns (so far) will be implemented. This first lockdown will last for 1 month and 25 days and will end on the 10th of May 2020.
It was during this first lockdown that I worked on this project.
This new disease and measures forced everyone to isolate themselves. This was interesting as I’ve always had this need to isolate myself, so as far as I was concerned, this lockdown wasn’t a bad thing (as long as you disregard the deadly disease). But as much as I love to isolate myself I love going against the current, I called this “the salmon effect”. I wasn’t going to isolate myself for this project.
First worker encountered during this project. Already using a FFP2 mask. He knew what was up.
Windows, it feels like they quickly became this symbol of the pandemic. Most of the photos I saw were of people behind closed windows. Separated by this clear barrier. So why not open the window? Why not break this frontier in a time where people needed it most? When it could have meaning.
Like James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear window I started staring out my window. However instead of watching my neighbors life's (#creep) I started looking at the people that were out in the streets during this first lockdown.
It is important to mention that during the first lockdown rules were really strict.
People only had the right to leave their houses for either going to work or for work (although most of the work was in virtual presence already). You could leave your residence to go grocery shopping, if you had a doctor’s appointment (which was unlikely as the medical staff was greatly busy with the pandemic) or for family reasons like watching over kids and taking care of the elderly. It was also possible to go do a physical activity in the vicinity of your home for a short period of time.
You needed to fill a form specifying your reason for being out before each outing.
I became interested as to why these people I saw in the street were outside. As the days went by I noticed patterns in people. At what time they would go out, what they were doing and if they were really going grocery shopping or really running or just trying to find any way possible to escape the isolation that represents their house! People are so sneaky and I love it.
I saw people fake running (never knew Parisians were so athletic until the first lockdown), some leaving their home with a full grocery bag and some walking their dog for the fifth time in a day to their dog’s delight. New parents take advantage of the situation by peacefully going on a walk with their newborn (no traffic or noises!). A friend of the family had her groceries delivered at our address. And a whole lot of people that were just walking about for no apparent reason besides escaping the claustrophobic feeling of their home. Lastly, the rare people that actually had an essential role that meant they never stopped working, despise the pandemic. Some people that we often take for granted couldn't stop working, without the risk of putting other people at risk. For them I’m thankful and forever will be.
This series of photographs and this project aims to show how everyone first reacted to this new disease. As much as the people I took in the photographs as my own reaction with the making of this project.
I always try to gain as much as I can bring to other people from my projects.
This project allowed me to open up to people and exchange with people I would’ve never talked to in another circumstance.
That was the goal of this project. In a time where everything and everyone tells you to stay away from each other I managed to connect, even if it was for 5minutes, with total strangers, in a time where we needed it most.
A lovely couple taking their newborn for a stroll in the quiet streets of Paris
Inside or outside, screens are everywhere during this pandemic
family friend quickly standing in front of my camera before having her groceries delivered
Other worker I managed to talk to. He took off his mask just before the photo
Going to do the groceries in style, Parisian deal with a pandemic in style, no matter what
I'm not going to say that this man is just getting out of his home with a full bag of groceries but I'm not going to deny it either
All smiles as this young couple is escaping the monotony of staying cooked up inside
I think you understand that the main attraction for people was going to do the groceries
