Faced with the health crisis threatening the entire planet, museums and galleries have closed their doors to the public. This pandemic had inspired different artists in the United States to comment on this dark period, through their art and in the streets. From Los Angeles to Miami via North Carolina or New York city, street artists comment on current facts by creating works in American cities. Their works are a reflection of what the world population is experiencing today. They also promote precautionary measures against COVID-19.

In Miami, for example, in a construction area the artist Hula represents the coronavirus on a demolition ball in order to illustrate « a perfect symbol of the chaos and destruction that is currently happening in the world ». The artist Muck Rock, him, has decided to paint on a wall a depiction of Anna Nicole Smith wearing a mask with the word « fear » following the behavior of pandemonium commotion that he could see in different stores in the city of Miami.

Many artists have decided to represent the virus as a demon symbolizing biological danger. To portray soldiers repelling him because governments speak of a « health war ». They also exploited the hygiene measures to be implemented to avoid any contamination in order to sensitize passers-by on the subject with a humorous touch to alleviate the gravity of the facts. The aim of these works is to bring positivity to these moments of fear while raising awareness.

Then there are artists like Shannon Greenhaus, who want to denounce the lack of actions undertaken by the government to fight this pandemic and the carelessness of the population. She sports expressions such as #StayTheFuckHome and #WearAFuckingMask next to a sculpture of a doctor’s mask from the 17th century. These hastags also represent online sites offering various tips to fight against the virus with clear and verified information.

So, this is how street artists in the United States decided to comment and expose the global health crisis through their art.

Gwenola

Sources consulted:

– The guardian – ‘It feels like wartime’: how street artists are responding to coronavirus

Since the appearance of this famous virus called Covid-19 in China several weeks ago, we can nevertheless show positive consequences from it. Indeed, to avoid as much as possible the spread of this virus within the country, or even the world, the government has therefore opted for the quarantine of the Chinese population, it means total containment. That means the shutdown of many industries. People are staying at home, there are few motor vehicles on the road.

To demonstrate this sharp change, a significant picture from NASA shows us the change since the quarantine was put in place : on the 1st image, the red/orange areas show the areas very impacted by the pollution (before the containment). On the second image, these areas have mostly disappeared (taken during containment). As a result, because of the containment of the population, we can say that pollution is strongly reducing.

Today, the virus has spread around the world. Europe is one of the most contaminated areas of the planet. In order to limit the spread of the virus, many borders are being closed. As a result, airplanes hardly fly any more, so greenhouse gas emissions are lowering.

As we can see, world economy is significantly shutting down but air quality is becoming better, gas emission are reducing.

Maëva

https://www.politico.eu/article/6-ways-coronavirus-is-changing-the-environment/

https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/china-pollution-levels-fall-during-coronavirus-outbreak/693879

The whole world is currently experiencing one of the greatest health crises in its history.

It’s 7:00 p.m., anywhere in the world, in France, in Italy, in Canada, you spent your day, you bored yourself, you worked. Anyway, it’s time for a drink on video conference with your family or friends. The only thing that will always bind us in happy or unhappy times is the aperitif!
But today, a new concept was born: the E-apero.
Is your Instagram feed is screened with screenshots of family or friends members taking drinks together? That’s normal.

Since the start of the quarantine, we’ve been meeting online. For a short hour we feel like we’re at the bar with some friends, but at home and they’re not there. Of course it’s not worth a real date, but we do what we can. House Party, Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, Whatsapp, Messenger… so many apps that have broken the connection record since this early quarantine.

«The level of calls made via Whatsapp and Messenger has been doubled compared to usual», noted the head of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg

People who are used to going out, seeing their loved ones, are rushing into the applications. Beware of the isolation and loneliness that can leave psychological sequelae. Call without moderation!

Be careful, there are nevertheless some tips to succeed its apero.

Some tips for a successful E-apero:

Tip 1: Don’t be too many!
The connection becomes more and more complicated if Michelle is the 10th to join the call. Moreover, it is complicated for everyone to agree and not to cut themselves off. We can quickly get angry and leave the call. The best, would be to connect in small committee, if many people, to establish rules of speech from the beginning. A headache !

Tip 2 : Don’t drink too much !
The point is not to throw up. In general, friends love to immortalize these moments with screenshots, so the little drink to celebrate the weekend with loved ones yes, the bottle of whiskey at 5 pm on Tuesday, no.

Tip 3 : Think of your children !
They too have friends, and want to see them. Many parents had the idea to hook up with their classmate for a day. It is beneficial for everyone, you will be quiet since they will not bother you, and you will make them discover what they did not know yet… the screens (isn’t it?)

Get on your cellphone and drink ! 


WIETZEL Charlène

Residents of Venice, a city of Italy, are noticing a great improvement in the quality of the canals. With coronavirus, the streets in Venice are empty, there are no tourists and inhabitants.

The water of the canals have cleared for the first time in years and thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic, we have noticed a decline in pollution. In fact, there is less boat traffic on Venice’s canals which are usually clouded and murky. Today, it has transformed into water crystal clear.

Videos and photos on social media show swans and small fish swimming in the canals. A dolphin was also filmed swimming in the port of Cagliari in Sardinia. However, the transparent water isn’t a sign of better water quality because it’s the result of the lack of boat traffic. The annual traffic capacity is around 50 million tonnes of boat.

The air has also been less polluted since the lockdown, because there is less boat traffic than usual. In China, a recent satellite images from NASA showed also less air pollution, thanks to less transportation and manufacturing.

Some cybernauts believe that the Coronavirus outbreak is a way to have an « ecological reset » for the climate emergency to recover.

Today, Italy is the most affected country by the Coronavirus pandemic in Europe, with around 2,500 deaths and 31,000 cases.

Chloé LE GARGASSON, Jeane NICOLAS, Timaelle MARTIN

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/venice-canals-clear-water-scli-intl/index.html

Some women adore natural beauty, some women adore makeup, and some of them adore lipstick. Some of them adore red lipstick.
Red lipstick represents identity, self-expression, women power, strength and liberation…
It has crossed the centuries and has known different interpretations. From the Egyptian queen Cleopatra to Hollywood actresses, passing by the prostitutes of ancient Greece, the red lipstick represented royalty, vulgarity or even glamor. In the Middle Ages it even represented a sign of mixing with the devil.

It was at the beginning of the 20th century that red lipstick was popularized and became a cultural weapon. It was a perfect symbol of rebellion and liberation for American suffragettes. This bright red on women’s lips was bold, shocked men, and that was the goal. Movement leaders Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Charlotte Perkins Gilman appreciated it for that. It allowed them to show their strength but above all their femininity. Then, their counterparts around the world adopted this symbol.

During the Second World War, Adolf Hitler hated the trend, the Aryan ideal was a pure face and not painted and women at that time, had to avoid excessive cosmetics therefore the red lipstick. As a result, in countries fighting Germany, wearing it has become a sign of patriotism and a declaration against fascism. In the United States, following the departure of the men in the war, it was necessary to launch a campaign to recruit women in the arms factories. Thus, the famous illustration by J. Howard Miller of Rosie the Riveter, had lips smeared with cherry.
After the war, it was in Hollywood that actresses like Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and even Elizabeth Taylor continued to popularize the wearing of red lipstick.

Today, there are other symbols of protest for the independence of women such as the pink hat that dominated the 2017 Women’s March.
But the red lipstick is still very symbolic and we can see it on an image from 2015 showing a Macedonian woman having kissed the riot shield of an officer during an anti-government demonstration or last December where almost 10,000 Chilean women took to the streets with black headbands, red scarves and red lips to speak out against sexual violence in the country.
The daring and provocative wearing of red lipstick on the mouths of protesters around the world has enabled them to continue their legacy as did the suffrage movement in the early 20th century.

Now we also know how red lipstick came to be the powerful product it is today. Red lipstick is the past, the present and the future. The red lips, are not just the red lips, but they are also whispering a long story, they are the past, the present and the future.

Gwenola

Sources consulted :
– CNN – Empowering, alluring, degenerate? The evolution of red lipstick

We all have already tried, one evening lying in our bed thinking of celibacy, a dating application. Will I find the love of my life? Will I find a one night stand? Today we're talking about the best dating apps.

The dating apps market is worth €12bn and around 25 million people are looking for love every day and using dating apps. Bumble, Tinder, Happn, Hinge, those are some of the many applications that have emerged in recent years. Dating apps are good for those who are shy, introverted, or for those who don't want to move their little finger. If you are looking for an app and you don't know which one to chose, you are at the right place. 

The first app, the most recognized in the entire world is Tinder. Obviously. Tinder was created in 2012, a way for people to meet each other, and to meet people they don't know in advance. In this app, we can look for a friendship,a one night stand, looking for the love of our lives, it depends on each person. Each day, billion of “swipes” are saved. It is represented as many profiles with pictures. If you like what you see you can swipe the picture on the right for yes, but if you don't just swipe on the left. There are several features. You can once a day, send a super like, even better than a regular like! This means that you have flashed. And then there are the paid features... Who buys this?

Now let’s move on to a different kind of application

Grindr is a dating app for gay, bisexual or bicurial men available on iOS, Blackberry OS and Android. This application allows you to discuss and exchange photos with geolocated men around you. It has been created by Joel Simkhai in 2009.

With over 80 million registered, Happn is an encounter application with real-time geolocation. It allows its users to find other happn crossed members online during the day. Two users must be geolocated within 250 meters of each other for the application to propose to put them in contact.

Bumble is a social platform that allows you to build it in the most rewarding way possible, whether it’s dating, friendship or career opportunities. On Bumble, it’s women who take the first step. This app revolutionize the rules of dating by promoting equality and respect, fundamental principles of any relationship.

Today, there are so much possibilities to meet new people, make friend, or meet the love of our life. With millions of people registered on dating apps, you may find shoe at your foot. In any case, never give up ! 

WIETZEL Charlène

Source : https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/dec/02/newly-single-a-beginners-guide-to-the-best-dating-apps