art
ART VS COVID
The Art vc Covid exhibition took place at the Fine Arts Gallery, organised by the MasaUK Art Gallery in Manchester, with the aim of showing how art can unify people during trying times.
BY MATT TRIAY
T
he exhibition went on for over a week, with artists flying from Austria, France and the UK as well local artists all taking part. I was lucky enough to speak with one of the artists, Micheal Viger, a humble man with a passion to create, a writer, a painter, a musician, a jazz lover. Micheal is not afraid to try and to discover; Art vs Covid was an exploration into new territories. He was able to 'paint me a picture' of life as an artist and explain the need for art. Micheal's father is a composer who makes music for movies, both his kids are musicians so you could say it’s in their genes. Micheal reminisced about being around the theatre as young as 3 years old; he saw it as an “invitation” to join the world of artists, saying he “always wanted to write, to paint, to make music…” today he does exactly that, combining all his creative talents. I asked Micheal if he felt different at a young age: “I was a singular child playing in my own world, 62
in my own universe and for other children to join you in your universe is quite difficult… still now I have this pleasure to enter my world and to create.” I mentioned my interest in screenwriting and he showed me his latest work. It was clear to see Micheal is an artist in every sense of the word - he relies on his talent to survive. With Covid-19
many Artists are uncertain of their future and the future of the industry and may not be able to rely on their talents for survival any longer. Art vs Covid suggests otherwise. When Micheal started in the art world he was directing movies. He spoke about the lack of competition and as a GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020
