HOUSSAM ALLOUM
It is the first time in recent human history where together, all people are fighting one enemy by using unconventional weapons and without the intervention of their armed forces. Now, the concepts of power have changed. It is the importance of science and human consciousness that are to be used as weapons to face the risk that currently threatens humanity. The world, like Noah’s ark once did, is looking for salvation from this pandemic that has flooded all of its countries. The Compass of Survival is a contemporary artwork, its concept inspired by the role of our medical staff. In this time of crisis, they are the real soldiers. Their weapons are their professional skills, manners, humanity, patience and their undying commitment to give. They are the compass for humanity, steering us in the direction required to save us from the Coronavirus pandemic. We feel their presence around us at all times with their care at the hospitals and their instructions to us in our daily life in order to build our experience in coronavirus prevention. The artwork contains 110 paintings, each one being 12x12 inches. Every painting is a different portrait of one of our medical heroes in Canada and beyond our borders. The arrangement of the paintings is inspired by the hierarchy inside the beehive, which symbolizes their activity and organization. Together, the paintings form the Compass of Survival.