All You Need to Know About The Quarantine Days Renaissance Project

London-based photographer and artist Mert Alas, one half of the famous duo Mert and Marcus (Pigott), who have been credited for shaping the look of modern fashion photography, put up an interesting photography exhibition on his Instagram handle on May 27th. The exhibition over a series of photos blended art and photography to reimagine the Renaissance period in the context of the current times.

There were Michelangelo like nudes, Da Vinci’s impassive Mona Lisa and Raphael inspired nature photographs reimagined in surreal backgrounds, saturated colours and a modern aesthetic. Alas called in entries for this “Quarantine Days Renaissance Project” on his Instagram account on April 29. He felt there were similarities between the current times and the trying times preceding the Renaissance period. He wrote in his post: “We haven’t had hundreds of years of plague and war, but we’ve had four interesting, difficult and sad months”.

As Alas wondered if the pandemic would change people’s approach to art and fashion, he asked people to send him self-created images celebrating the human form, a major point of focus for Renaissance artists. He received an overwhelming response of around 2,000 entires, out of which he chose about 50 images and edited them by adding backgrounds, changing colours and collaging to reflect his own point of view.

He launched the exhibition on his Instagram handle with a caption: “I asked you to interpret Renaissance with me, the idea of coming out of darkness, the idea of adoration of human form, the idea of pain and emotions! You guys did an amazing work.” What also stands out in the images are the ways in which people have shown ingenious ways of finding light, while quarantining at home. As Alas put it, “In times like this, being creative is very important. I think, it keeps our souls stable and minds active.”