Eye on the virus
Quintfus Kwong
Two white students stared at the black student with curiosity, yet snidely as he fitted his surgical mask, the only mask in a classroom full of students.
This was Chris portrayed in front of his Canon 80D in a mini studio, transformed from a bedroom. Li Xitao, Chris is a year 4 student in the University of Hong Kong and is now on exchange at Sciences Po in Paris. The scenes are part of his indoor portrait photography album “2020: ONE HEART”, created by Chris and his friends in Paris.
It was Chris’s dream to work as a documentary photographer, and he got his chance in Paris – but it was all ruined by the outbreak of Coronavirus in Europe.
“I was excited when I received the offer. I was travelling in Switzerland when the phone call came. And I rushed out to answer the phone.” Chris laughed as he recollected, “we talked about the plan for around 1 hour. After the phone call, I stood there and watched the scenery for a long time.”
Although Chris was disappointed when he was informed of the project’s cancellation due to the virus, he considered it the correct decision. But he knew there was something else he could do.
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In a push forward, Chris and his friends initiated a new photography project with the goal of urging people to raise awareness of the virus, stop working and suspend classes. He distributed the following leaflet at the University:
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Models were invited, the darkroom was set. After one-week preparation, ninety-two photos captured and over a hundred hours of editing work, “2020: ONE HEART” came out.
Urging people to stay at home is not the sole intention of creating the Album.
On a day after the country-wide lockdown, Chris was on his way to the Chinese Embassy to collect a Health Kit, when he saw crowds of people packing the streets. Children were riding their skateboards, teenagers were gossiping as they leaned on railings, and couples were strolling through the park. Even though there were more people wearing masks than previously, most people went out without any.
“Merci”, which means “Thank you” in English, was projected on Eiffel Tower after the country-wide lockdown. / Li Xitao, Chris
“I was really shocked about it because I self-quarantined myself at home for a long time. I fondly imagined that everybody would care about the virus after the restriction,” Chris said with concern, “unfortunately, there are still lots of people who do not care about the Coronavirus.”
The health kit contains ten surgical masks, two FFP masks one N95 mask and 60 PCS antiseptic wipes
/Li Xitao, Chris
Unfortunately, a sad irony plays out. “Seldom people were trying to learn how to fight against the virus, instead, people would only discriminate Chinese and Asian, even discriminate people who have prevention awareness in their own society,” Chris says.
Chris recalled the news reported how some foreigners spat on a Chinese girl in Germany. There were also reports of how Chinese people were being discriminated against, and being attributed as the ones who brought the virus over to Europe. These eyes were not new to him,
Chis also experienced the same scornful glares in school because of his Chinese identity and mask habits. It wouldn’t be anything overt, sometimes just as simple as covering their mouths when they noticed Asians like Chris, but he could sense their wariness. But in spite of that, he says. “I can bear it, but I still felt a little bit sad and pain. I think viruses are of no nationality, it is a case of humans. It is unfair to call it Chinese Virus.”
“Indifference and discrimination are not a matter of course. The world is on fire, and all humans have left is a sense of togetherness,” that is what Chris wrote in his epilogue of the album. He said, “that is another original intention of creating the ‘2020: ONE HEART’.”
Place de Mars/Li Xitao, Chris
Before the outbreak of Coronavirus, Chris would walk or take the metro to school. He would pass the Eiffel Tower, Place de Mars, L’ hôtel des Invalides every day The Flora Café is just opposite the university he is studying at, and he always drinks coffee there after class. Walking further east, the Shakespeare Bookstore is lying there. And the Louvre is just across the Seine. Chris will ramble in these French-style places afterschool sometimes. “We all hope the Coronavirus can be under control soon,” said Chris, “I am neither a well-heeled person nor an authority. Taking photographs is the only thing I am able to do.”