Art goes virtual amidst coronavirus crisis

Since the emergence of Covid-19 and resulting self-quarantine, several museums, cultural institutions, festivals and global happenings have temporarily shuttered operations. In a sector that thrives on in-person connection, the loss of an audience is disastrous, yet resilient performers, institutions, galleries, even entire art fairs, are moving to the digital arena, using streaming services and virtual reality.

Kuwait Free Art Atelier, one of the art museums in Kuwait, organized a virtual gallery on its social media account for art lovers under the current circumstances.

Ibtisam Al-Asfour, an exhibition organizer, had the idea for an online Ramadan exhibition entitled "Kuwait is our home" where she invited a group of artists to participate in the exhibition with their artworks related to Ramadan.

The museum's Instagram account received a beautiful collection of artworks from Kuwait and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The artworks were displayed to encourage artists to produce and exchange experiences and knowledge in light of the current situation that we are living in, and to enhance the spirit of optimism and belief in a better tomorrow, she stressed.

There is a jury committee choosing the best paintings to display, she said, noting that 22 artists participated in the exhibition and the museum will still accept paintings until May 23.