When ISA transitioned to a Distance Learning model during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic back in April and the physical campus closed for some weeks, ISA IBMYP and DP Visual Art teacher Sian Lysaght wanted to help ISA to maintain a sense of community and togetherness. Through the production of artworks, members of the ISA community explored their shared experiences of potential isolation, aiming to capture their experience of that uniquely challenging time within their individual domestic environments.

The Challenge

Lysaght challenged the community to create an artwork that reflects the theme of either Looking Out or Looking In, or both options:

Option A – Looking Out 

For example, utilising the visual metaphor of windows or doors as a visual vehicle for looking out at the world from our domestic vantage point. Looking out from within our homes out onto the world at this time is very apt and could provide a cool starting place for a drawing or painting. Looking Out is a connection to the world in our state of confinement.

Option B – Looking In 

Also consider looking inwards into our homes, our lives with our family and pets. The domestic space is a safe and peaceful space but often too this up-close focus can tell us a lot about the bigger picture. Looking In also alludes to introspection and a more personal investigation.

Digital Gallery

The final result is a collection of work from some Upper School Visual Art classes together with contributions made by many faculty and staff of ISA. The artwork is a wonderful document of a very special period in social history. Thank you to all members of the ISA community who participated for your generous collaborative spirit!