On 1 March, the first case of Covid-19 was identified in New York. Four days later, Abdul Abdullah’s show opened in the famed Armory Show.
Abdullah recollects: “People were already elbow-touching instead of hugging, but over the course of that week, it all got serious.” Things were about to get considerably more serious, when the city started to introduce curfews in an attempt to quell the spread. The city that never sleeps, it seems, was taking a nap.
“I flew to Los Angeles to see some friends but by then, things were getting scary. All the galleries were closed, the shops were emptying … I went to Venice Beach and it was deserted, completely eerie”, says Abdullah. Initially, he had planned to travel to Berlin, but as of mid-March, the Australian government was advising all citizens to return home on the first flight they could find.
The country’s sector has suffered tremendously as a result of the pandemic. Purchasing thousands of dollars of art, is after all, less of a priority at present.
For Abdullah, the present situation comes with a silver lining. His show was prior to the pandemic, and had sold some works before the lockdown.
“I’ve got many friends who have lost all their work and who are completely unsupported in their art practice because they’ve lost their part-time gigs and they can’t access jobkeeper. They’ve really been struck down by this,” he noted.
However, in spite of present circumstances, Abdullah remains positive. “A whole lot of organisations are creating content for online and in some ways, I’ve found myself busier than ever. I’m not making the same kind of income, but I’m certainly busy.
“And when you’re an artist, you’ve basically spent your life working in isolation, so on that level, it’s been OK.”
