In response to the coronavirus pandemic, Miami artist Xavier Cortada is creating weekly conceptually-driven video works and sharing them with his community. These videos aim to present issues relating to coronavirus through a juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional artistic methods. Through this medium, Cortada attempts to create a dialogue with his audience, using the elasticity of art to engage individuals and communities towards relevant action and involvement.
Honoring the dead
On May 8, 2020, Cortada made 454 marks on the coastline of Key Biscayne, one of Miami’s barrier islands, as part of a ritualistic performance to honor the 454 neighbors who had died due to complications from COVID-19 as of that date. Although waves washed Cortada’s markings away, those impacted by these deaths will never forget their loss – and, conceptually, the waves share our grief with those also grieving on shorelines around the world.