Cherry Creek North’s Le Bibloque features the fine art of Peter Tunney amongst New Year’s Balloons. Photo: The Art Quarterly – Mason Hayutin
The 2019 Coronavirus pandemic is and has transformed industries overnight especially those reliant on a physical experience. The way we live and do commerce must change to accommodate the reality of a global pandemic, which is a silent plague on our global societies. We know that the majority of us are social beings. How do we adapt to be social distancing in our everyday lives – our work environments, our academic environments, our leisure environments? The arts combined with technology shares a path forward as certain industries and habits evolve and either win the day or become an afterthought.
Covid-19 has caused commerce to slow immensely – China’s GDP hovers at a negative 6.7% approximately and the United States has a spike in unemployment to a reported 20%. Commerce which relies on the physical environment only has ground to a halt. Major photojournalists have been documenting the empty streets with imagery of animals (domestic and wild) roaming in places traditionally meant for human activity and interaction.
A contemporary home is digitally charted with MATTERPORT technology. Photo: ©2020 Matterport, Inc
Technology, like that developed by Matterport, extends consumer reach in the digital and coronavirus era. While galleries have been shuttered to the public and deemed “Non-essential” the fine art found inside has not. Virtual environments have long been used by progressive and forward-thinking directors, curators, and business people in the arts. Photographers have learned and implemented exceptional modeling techniques as part of their commercial endeavors and role in e-commerce. Real Estate, commercial and residential, adapts and changes. Virtual services, like those offered by talented photographers and the equipment companies, are a means for the local realtor or store owner to better communicate with their sphere.
Restaurants, always looking for a new way to bring fresh concepts to market, will likely offer a more boutique experience. Reservations may include a virtual preview of a private booth and room. Covid is and has transformed us and our industries overnight.
