Art in the Era of COVID-19:  A Conversation with German Artist Dennis Meseg about his Corona Memorial  

Dennis Meseg’s art is driven by the desire to make ideas and emotions palpable. He works in stone, wood, steel, and paint, seeking to balance conception and process. His Corona Memorial “It Is Like It Is” ( Et kütt wie et kütt) is an installation of 111 mannequins, wrapped in red-and-white tape. No longer displaying life-affirming and colorful clothing in shop windows, the figures document the agonizing separation of our restricted lives during a pandemic. Our community is broken down into individuals, all separated and each yearning for familiar intimacy. The installation wants to connect where there is no longer a connection, and to strengthen our confidence as it makes visible our feelings and thoughts. The installation has been shown widely in Germany and is gaining international momentum.  

This event is part of a Center for German Studies webinar series on Covid-19 in Transatlantic Perspective, organized in collaboration with the German Program at Virginia Tech and co-hosted by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, D.C. Cosponsored by the Center for German Studies, the Department of German, and the European Studies Program at UVA.

For more information, please contact: Manuela Achilles, ma6cq@virginia.edu