Items

• 
  2020

  HUM 402 assignment prompt, University of Tasmania

  Assignment prompt given to University of Tasmania students in HUM 402 by instructor Nicole Tarulevicz
• 
  2020-05

  Zoom Fatigue

  With the pandemic came online learning and being forced into a class room situation where everything was mediated through our screens. I found this learning style to be mentally draining and had felt that I was alone in my experience when all I saw online was people celebrating the wonders of connecting through zoom. Seeing this infographic which acknowledges zoom exhaustion and breaks down why it happens and ways to overcome it was really nice. It shows that my experience is felt by many and while technology has allowed many of us to stay connected it isn't with negatives. HUM402
• 
  2020-03-21

  Socially Distanced Birthday

  My birthday fell just before the height of the pandemic. While staying at home was not yet mandatory, social distancing was starting to be brought in. Luckily, some of my amazing friends dropped off this birthday present and left it outside my door.
• 
  0007-04-04

  Initial closure of all Hospitals and Aged Care Facilities

  The decision to close hospitals to visitors was a step taken to ensure the safety and health of staff, immunodeficient and vulnerable members of our community. Both closures impacted my ability to visit family members and while this was difficult, I understood the importance of introducing these measures given the circumstances of the pandemic. And additionally, appreciated that in response to these changes, the facilities introduced various means of staying connected with loved ones.
• 
  2020-05-23

  #Keepourmobsafe

  HUM402 The Australian Government has launched a campaign to #keepourmobsafe. This image is of a screenshot of an ad for the campaign, which the government is using to educate Indigenous Australians regarding the risk of COVID-19. The ads appear to be targeting Indigenous Australians living in remote communities, giving them tips on how to stop the spread of COVID-19 and utilising indigenous artwork and slang to appear 'relatable'.
• 
  2020-04-02

  Cancer doesn't press pause during a pandemic

  This article is a timely reminder that while there is a pandemic that has seemingly put our lives on hold, for others, that is not the case. Cancer isn't put on hold during a pandemic. People will continue to be diagnosed with cancer, they will continue to get treatments despite the risks of COVID-19 and sadly, people will pass away from cancer. This article is a really moving piece that highlights the experience of COVID-19 from the perspective of someone living with terminal cancer and the likelihood that they may not see the other side of isolation.
• 
  2020-05-14

  The First Day Out

  This was taken on the first occasion that I left my hometown in almost two months of isolation. My partner and I went to Richmond, a town only ten minutes from my house and very familiar, but the act of leaving was peculiar after so long sequestered. The Richmond Bridge, featured in the image, is the oldest of its kind in Australia, a piece of convict heritage that has stood the test of time. Some of my earliest memories feature the bridge and its surrounds, and returning to that place at the beginning of a post-COVID-19 existence was a peculiar sensation. For me, it will now have dual historical implications, as a relic of the nineteenth century, and of the plague year.
• 
  2020-05-25

  A Gift From the Past

  The first person I visited when restrictions in Tasmania were eased the first time was a ninety-year old lady, a family friend and distant relation who knows all the stories everyone else has forgotten. I sat in her house for two and a half hours and listened to her talk about our family and all the people they knew, and I learned about a past that is rapidly disappearing as the people who remember it age. After my visit, she gave this glass to my mother. It was my great-grandfather's preferred glass at the local pub, and was gifted to this woman's husband after he died, as he was a great friend to my great-grandfather. She chose to give it to us thinking it would mean more for us than it does her. I had intended to visit Mrs Howlett for months, but life kept getting in the way. The pandemic afforded me the opportunity to explore my own past and the history of many other people in a way that I usually can't in everyday life, and this glass is a physical, tangible example of that experience.
• 
  2020-03-30

  Van Gogh Painting Stolen

  A Van Gogh painting was stolen from a museum in the Netherlands due to closure because of COVID-19.
• 
  2020-05-27

  Make-do Standing Desk

  Studying from home meant that I had to find a lot of materials around my house to create my workspace, whereas I usually study in the university library or in cafes. This image shows my precarious standing desk I created one day when I had been sitting down too long!
• 
  2020-05-27

  Cat Playing in a Box

  My girlfriend was housesitting for a man who was unfortunately on a cruiseship when coronavirus hit, and he had to be quarantined on Rottnest island. This box was ironically holding toilet paper, but we repurposed it to be a cat café and wrote that he was only serving us takeaway due to COVID-19 restrictions.
• 
  2020-05-27

  Charades Virtual Edition

  Over the course of the pandemic student resident committees and the student living staff at the UTAS Sandy Bay Student Accommodation have come up with many online activities to keep residents connected with each other. This example is an invitation from the John Fisher College resident committee.
• 
  2020-03-20

  Sports Cancelled Due to Covid-19 Risk

  Sailing, as well as all other sports, have been cancelled or postponed due to the Covid-19 crisis. This sailing club, like many others is therefore shut for the foreseeable future. I chose this image because through all the years that I have been sailing (17 years) nothing like this has ever occurred before.
• 
  2020-05-27

  Flatmates

  I have spent the pandemic living with my 5 flatmates in our student accommodation. Some of us had lived at student accommodation before and were already acquainted with each other, whereas others were strangers at the beginning of the year. Over the last few months we have learned to live with each other amidst the uncertainty posed by the virus, organising cleaning rosters, discussing food, stressing over university assignments and rediscovering the beauty of The Lord of the Rings films.
• 
  2020-04-27

  A Postcard From a Friend

  Sent to me by a friend who lives less than half an hour from me, this is an example of how the world has reverted in some ways during the pandemic. Written letters and postcards are largely objects of the past, yet this was an effort at analog connection in the digital world, one that required thought and care to produce.
• 
  2020-04-30

  Productivity during COVID - 19

  This image, found on Instragam, encapsulates the immediate effects of COVID - 19 upon the way individuals live their lives. By exploring the juxtaposition between the before, during and after states of COVID - 19 the post articulates the changing dynamics of the world around this virus.
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  2020-05-26

  Pepperz Safety Poster

  A safety poster on the window of Pepperz, the restaurant of the UTAS College Road student accommodation. Pepperz became a vital source of cheap cooked meals for many residents who relied on communal kitchens prior to the lock down. Access to those kitchens was restricted due to social distancing measures.
• 
  05/26/2020

  University Apartments on College Road

  One section of the UTAS student accommodation on College Road, Sandy Bay. Here reside several hundred university students from across Tasmania, Australia and the world. At the beginning of the year residents would gather at social events, making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. But when the pandemic reached Tasmania the mood grew tense and students withdrew into their accommodation.
• 
  2020-05-26

  Student Laundry

  A communal laundry used by over 100 residents of UTAS student accommodation in Sandy Bay. In order to maintain social distancing, only 3 people can be in the laundry at any time.
• 
  2020-05-26

  Isolation Entertainment

  A photo showing a slice of quince and apple pie and the set-up for the board game 'Wingspan,' both symbols of the happier moments of the pandemic for me. Staying at home has given me the opportunity to make ridiculous amounts of pie - something I've always wanted to do - and play ridiculous amounts of board game, which I've always loved. It's important to find things to enjoy right now, and these are some of mine.
• 
  2020-05-26

  Disclosure quarantine music release

  My favourite UK electronic band, Disclosure, released a new single from their forthcoming album "Energy" during lockdown. The track, also called "Energy" is a work of house/electronic music art that reflects the times we are currently facing. It's uplifting, direct, exotic, punchy and a lot of fun to listen to.
• 
  2020-05-26

  Have you got your dot? - COVID-safe UTas

  After Tasmanian restrictions were eased for the first time on Monday 18 May, these signs started to appear around the University of Tasmania's Sandy Bay campus. They show the university's response to allowing a limited number of people on campus daily and the safety procedure of having a temperature check and wearing a sticker to confirm that each person on campus is well.
• 
  2020-04-24

  Lighting a Candle for our ANZACs

  On ANZAC day this year, while usual memorial ceremonies were cancelled, Australians were encouraged to take part at home. This is a photo of the candle I lit at 6 a.m. to commemorate Australia's past and current servicemen and women as the ABC broadcast the National Service at the Australian War Memorial.
• 
  05/18/2020

  Tasmanian Hospital Remain Closed to Visitors

  While some restrictions have begun to gradually ease in Tasmania, hospitals remain closed to visitors in order to keep staff and patients safe from the spread of COVID-19.
• 
  05/12/2020

  State ABC's fight it out on Facebook

  HUM402 Last week ABC Darwin asked on Facebook: "How do you feel about a travel bubble for the NT, Western Australia and South Australia?" Unexpectedly, the ABC pages for the various Australian states responded and the comments erupted into a hilarious "fight" between them all.
• 
  26/05/20

  A Victorian-Inspired Reticule

  This item was the first thing I created once entering isolation. A project that I have been putting off for several months, it created an outlet for me to channel the initial nervous energy of the isolation situation. In this I contributed to a larger trend on Instagram in the sewing community, #sewcialdistancing, in which cosplayers, embroiderers, historical costumers, and other sewers began channeling their own excess energy into projects.
• 
  04/08/2020

  Australian 'Smart Traveller' World Travel Advisory Map

  SmartTraveller is the Australian Government's travel advisory website. This may be a historical first: every continent on the SmartTraveller map is red. The government's official advice is 'Do Not Travel' for everywhere in the world. It's a striking visual that sums up the universality of the pandemic experience.
• 
  2020-05-22

  "My Plans vs. 2020" Meme

  A meme I created and posted on a Facebook group, on the topic of the year 2020. Comprised of two images taken from the opening sequence of "Shaun the Sheep", demonstrating how my plans for the year have been ruined by 2020. It summarises my feelings that all the events of the year has ruined all the plans I had, and that it has not been a great year.
• 
  2020-05-25

  Stephenie Meyer's "Midnight Sun" Announcement

  The announcement made on Meyer’s website which says that Midnight Sun, a novel which tells the story of Twilight from the perspective of the character Edward Cullen, will finally be published August 4th. The announcement acknowledges the passion people have for the Twilight series, and hopes to remind the readers of that fun in these unprecedented times.
• 
  2020-05-13

  Becoming Austen heroines in Quarantine

  An article on whimn.com reflecting on how the novels and adaptations of Jane Austen are not only great isolation comfort reads, but mimic the rhythm of life in isolation.
• 
  2020-06-24

  Problems with government policy concerning schools

  [Curatorial Note]: Description and thoughts on new policies for sanitation and safety within early education classrooms.
• 
  04/13/2020

  Racism and Covid-19

  This image was a part of a Facebook post. It is evidently racist and indicates an underlying suspicion of the ‘Chinese’ community which has arisen out of the Covid-19 pandemic. Discussion of the cause of the Covid-19 outbreak, particularly regarding its supposed origins in a wet market, has contributed to a growth in anti-Chinese sentiment and ethnocentric thought in Tasmania. The image depicts a toy bat on a plate, with the caption describing it as a ‘Chinese meal’. This refers to the belief that bats are commonly eaten in China and that such practices caused the Covid-19 outbreak. The last line of the post is also evidently racist, with the name ‘Sum Ting Wong’ often being derogatively used by racist individuals to refer to Chinese and other ‘Asian’ people in Australia. It must be noted, however, that not all Tasmanians believe such horrid tropes. I immediately was horrified when I saw this post, and others I have showed it to have reacted in disgust. Nevertheless, it sadly still represents a faction of the community who have reacted to Covid-19 with suspicion and racism. From my personal experience, I feel as though this racism has reduced to some degree in the community, as the virus has spread throughout the world and beyond China.
• 
  2020-05-17

  #KeepOurMobSafe Campaign

  The Australian Government has launched a campaign to #keepourmobsafe. This image is of a screenshot of an ad for the campaign, which the government is using to educate Indigenous Australians of the risk of Covid-19. The ads appear to be targeting Indigenous Australians living in remote communities, giving them tips on how to stop the spread of Covid-19. The campaign utilises indigenous artwork and slang to appear 'relatable'.
• 
  05/07/20

  The first day outside of home

  This photograph was taken of me the first time I left my home since I began self-isolation six weeks prior. It was taken in Richmond, a place only a few minutes from my home, but moving in that space, and seeing larger numbers of people was difficult after being isolated for so long.
• 
  05/20/2020

  A postcard from a friend

  The image depicts a postcard sent to me by a friend who lives only a half an hour away. It represents engagement with outdated technology in order to attempt some semblance of connection in a time and place where that connection is almost impossible.
• 
  05/01/2020

  Revisiting Old Hobbies

  HUM402 This cartoon of a man with a mask on and a ventriloquist doll really exemplifies time in quarantine, with both a new sense humour but also a newfound urge to try old and new activities. It shows how with all this time we all have at the moment, people are either going back to old hobbies or trying new ones.
• 
  05/18/2020

  An Example of Quarantine Romance Fiction

  This is one of many examples of quarantine or lockdown themed romance and erotica currently for sale on Amazon Australia, reflecting trends in comfort reading, the response of entertainers and creators to the crisis, and the way COVID-19 has become inescapable in popular culture. *HUM402 *Photo of a kindle screen, showing the bookcover
• 
  2020-03-29

  Pandemic Monopoly

  HUM402 The image depicts the creation of Pandemic Monopoly by a Hobart resident. The homemade board game uses toilet paper as currency, referring to the toilet paper shortage seen across Tasmanian supermarkets. The board game presents players with the opportunity to 'own' key Hobart locations. However, instead of mortgage, houses and hotels, the game allows players to buy hospitals and clinics to place on the properties. Centrelink, the Australian governments social security service, features heavily on the board game, indicating the rise in unemployment due to the pandemic. Whilst being used for comical purposes, the game also critiques the Tasmanian governments early handling of Covid-19 crisis via a chance card, which states "You have a fever, dry cough and Pneumonia to boot but despite having all of the symptoms, you haven't knowingly come into contact with a known carried so they won't test you for Covid-19. The Royal Hobart Hospital sends you home. Get out of iso [isolation] free." This refers to the Tasmanian government in early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic refusing to test individuals who had not been in contact with a known case, or had not left the country.
• 
  2020-04-23

  Advertising with a Twist

  An image of a restaurant in Canada, that has a very funny way of advertising. It really demonstrates our change in humour and also a change in advertising. -HUM402
• 
  13/05/2020

  Masterchef Australia's Perfect Storm

  HUM402 In April 2020, Masterchef Australia premiered its 12th season, and received the best ratings in years. As well as featuring old 'Fan Favourite' contestants, for a stressed out nation in lockdown the nostalgia, comfort, and domesticity of Masterchef, and the lack of other places to be of an evening, definitely contributed to the shows success. I know my family is hooked for the first time in eight years, and Masterchef has become something we look forward to doing together every evening.
• 
  2020-04-14

  Nature Journal Page

  A picture of a page in my nature journal. I started a nature journal when lockdown was announced in order to make sure I was going outside every day and also to share with my girlfriend when quarantine was over. Communicating online is so important, but I also wanted a means to communicate with her that felt like it could be kept forever.
• 
  2020-05-01

  Sorry, Straight People: Lockdown Culture is Just Lesbian Culture

  An article on how elements of 'lockdown culture' are attitudes and pasttimes commonly attributed to the lesbian experience.
• 
  2020-07-05

  Reverse Culture Shock and Relaxing Restrictions

  HUM402 This article discusses reverse culture shock and the likelihood that many Australians will experience this as restrictions are gradually relaxed. I feel this article will resonate with many people worldwide, and also clearly highlights the turbulence of emotions felt during this period of COVID-19.
• 
  2020-05-07

  Social distancing in stores

  HUM402 Social distancing has been implemented in stores to help slow the rate of Covid-19. These are some basic instructions on how to social distance in grocery stores.
• 
  2020-03-31

  Tassie Face Mask Project

  HUM402 The local community getting together for positive action against COVID-19. By sewing masks it's giving the broader community an active way to be involved as well as reducing stress on the low stocks of protective equipment.
• 
  2020-04-15

  We are all in the same boat. We are not all in the same storm.

  HUM402 An important reminder that each of us is going to feel differently to the current circumstances based on numerous variables. I have found it's very easy to get caught up in what others seem to be capable of but I'm not comparing apples with apples. My storm is different to theirs and it's ok.
• 
  2020-04-06

  Tasmanian premier clears Easter Bunny to enter the state

  HUM402 A light-hearted gesture to combat all of the negative news and loss of a traditional Easter holiday for many. Even though travel was prohibited, Easter egg hunts were still something to be looked forward to.
• 
  2020-03-29

  Pandemic Monopoly

  HUM 402 The image depicts the creation of Pandemic Monopoly by a Hobart resident. The homemade board game uses toilet paper as currency, referring to the toilet paper shortage seen across Tasmanian supermarkets. The board game presents players with the opportunity to 'own' key Hobart locations. However, instead of mortgage, houses and hotels, the game allows players to buy hospitals and clinics to place on the properties. Centrelink, the Australian governments social security service, features heavily on the board game, indicating the rise in unemployment due to the pandemic. Whilst being used for comical purposes, the game also critiques the Tasmanian governments early handling of Covid-19 crisis via a chance card, which states "You have a fever, dry cough and Pneumonia to boot but despite having all of the symptoms, you haven't knowingly come into contact with a known carried so they won't test you for Covid-19. The Royal Hobart Hospital sends you home. Get out of iso [isolation] free." This refers to the Tasmanian government in early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic refusing to test individuals who had not been in contact with a known case, or had not left the country.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Empty shopping centre car park

  Prior to COVID-19 this undercover car park at a local shopping complex would have been full of cars and people, on this day (a Sunday afternoon) it was almost empty. This image shows that people are adhering to social distancing laws and staying home unless they require essential grocery items.
• 
  2020-04-09

  Chalk messages of hope

  A message from neighborhood children, bringing joy and hope to those lucky enough to encounter it upon their walk or run.