"Inspired by Science & the pandemic, "Pandemic" is where Art meets Science"
ART: Hand Crafted
ARTIST /CREATIVE DESIGNER OF PANDEMIC: Dr. Victor O. Olatoye
FABRICATOR: Yinka Fabayo.
DIMENSIONS: 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 Ft
WEIGHT:1000 KG (2205 LB)
MATERIALS: Scraps Bronze, Copper, Metals, and Cold Cast.
FINISHING: Polished Bronze, Copper, Industrial Paint
DESIGN ORIGIN: USA
YEAR: 2021
Interpretation
The pandemic motivated us to unleash a revolution in medicine due to the ingenuity of government, private companies, and everyone coming together to fight the common enemy. The doctor with an oversized syringe were placed on top to signify their dominance on the virus.
The Scientist looking into the microscope and the doctor with an oversized syringe were placed on top to signify their dominance on the virus.
The oversize bottle and syringe show my conviction earlier on in the pandemic that we would discover the vaccines and that was also why the keys were placed at the mouth of the vaccine bottle. The “key” to “arrest” the pandemic is in the vaccine.
Making Pandemic 8.5 feet with the weight of about 2205 pounds is intentional, the statue needs to be enormous and overwhelming in appearance and that is to mimic the effects of COVID on humanity which is overwhelming. A lightweight 3 feet figurine might have been cute, but wouldn’t have been effective.
The adorned surgical mask that measured 4.5 by 3 ft made out of over 1500 nuts by Pandemic isn’t a medically needed fashion statement, in this case, the mask is applied as a muzzle to show control over the subject. The Pandemic art vividly shows the human experience in the fight against COVID and its toll on humanity by placing tears on its face. The tears on its face also represent the sadness we felt for the lost souls to the pandemic. Again they could be interpreted as crocodile tears, not because it has any remorse but just like most criminals just sad for being caught.
Social distancing
The keys fit the comically placed handcuffs on the Pandemic. The handcuffs signify the arrest of the “Pandemic” Like all criminal cases against an accused one would need the evidence thus the virus on its palms to show that it is as charged.
The art was fabricated from unique materials; making something from metal requires a lot of patience and skills, creating art from repurposed metal materials takes even more time and accuracy. The Pandemic art proves that scrap metal could be transformed even into impressive pieces of creative art, various materials hand-forged to bring “life” into Pandemic an adversary the whole world spent the past two years trying to kill; the lustrous radiant and glossy colors are achieved with, polished bronze, copper, and industrial paint.
The Covid character is shown with one of the legs anchored down with a chain attached to a wrecking ball to signify the wrecking ball effect on us all; as it spots converse type of sporting shoes with the covid virus on them for the faster spreading of the virus as it steps on the world map made out of polished copper sheets and industrial paint.
Pandemic is the only art that ever documented all in one piece the human experience about a pandemic. This museum masterpiece wouldn’t be possible without my medical background. This historically important art will continue to tell the horrific stories of the human experience as it pays homage to our human experience during the COVID-19 pandemic at a museum for centuries to come. Pandemic is a museum masterpiece and it's in the museum where you can enjoy it more.
Time capsules are usually buried for the future generation to see and shed light on the past. Looking at Pandemic; you could see the entire history of the COVID pandemic on this masterpiece making it the first unburied time capsule about a pandemic.
The Essential Workers
The culturally balanced essential workers are proudly displayed in their various uniforms made of solid bronze without making them recognizable as being of any ethnic group (because the pandemic doesn't care) with only one exception and that is for you to find. The choice of bronze as the material for the essential workers was to show how valuable they are as bronze medals since gold would be too flashy for a serious subject. Nothing flashy about the pandemic.
The essential workers leave their homes to help maintain a semblance of normality for others, at great risk to themselves and their families in dangerous, exhausting conditions. Essential workers have taught us all just how much we depend on one another to conduct our daily lives and often, how much we take for granted the work of others. Humanity couldn’t have survived without them.
