C.D.C. WARNS OF ‘AGGRESSIVE’ PEOPLE SEARCHING FOR FOOD DURING SHUTDOWNS
This video by the artist duo YOUNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES presents excerpts from a news article about urban conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic. The artists put their own unique twist on an actual New York Times report about the behaviour of urban rats during the pandemic, who were becoming more brazen due to the scarcity of restaurant food scraps they were accustomed to feeding on. Accompanied by a jazz score created by the artists, the text is re-imagined to replace the tales of rats with humans. Yet somehow, it still evokes near-experiences we may have had during the pandemic. The work is a reminder — or a premonition — of the unpredictable, absurd and darkly humorous reactions that panic can bring for both humans and non-humans alike.