'Pain into beauty': Argentine sculptor turns pandemic waste into art

BUENOS AIRES: Marcelo Toledo usually creates sculptures and jewelry out of metal. Now the Argentine artist is working with a new material: waste masks and syringes from the COVID-19 pandemic to create an exhibition exploring the painful impact of the virus.

Toledo, who has made jewelry for the musical "Evita" on Broadway and unique pieces for Barack Obama and Madonna, was among the first in Argentina to contract COVID-19 a year ago, which left him hospitalized for eight days with pneumonia. The experience left an imprint on his life and triggered a flurry of artworks, from a 14-meter mask with the Argentine flag that he placed on the iconic Obelisk in Buenos Aires to raise awareness about organ donation during the pandemic.