A photographer’s journey through 2020 in the form of video call screenshots

A unique gallery display shows a photographer’s journey through 2020’s lockdown months in the form of screenshots from video calls

Of the many things that the COVID-19 pandemic taught us, the importance of human connection ranks high. The lack thereof, is perhaps the most excruciating phase for many who live alone through the pandemic. The presence of a loved one in the house, as simple as it sounds, remained gravely underrated until now. It has made even a recluse like Mumbai-based photographer Rema Chaudhary crave companionship. For many introverts, the first few months were almost a relief, a happy deviation from unavoidable social interactions. But as time passed, everyone scrambled for pockets of comfort and familiarity within their own homes. And, devoid of human presence, warm hugs and pointless yet comforting background noise, lonely days followed. After the initial months of isolation, Rema too went in search of a happy bubble of memories, which is what led her to reconnect with an ex-partner, Taha, who resides in Toronto, over video calls. In the beginning, checking in on each other was the norm. But as days similar to the previous ones went by, each other’s presence mattered more than conversations. As mundane day-to-day activities carried on, lit screens provided solace. Soon, to document this experience, Rema started taking screenshots of these video calls: most frames show one of them engaged in a mundane activity like folding laundry or doing dishes, while the other looks on. The result was 300-odd frames captured from May 2020 to September 2020, the peak lockdown months. In August, Rema identified a narrative that could perhaps make this collection a book.