The history of art features many an example of rules in the form of mathematical formulae; thus, in the doctrine of harmonic proportions. Some such rules were "recognised" in historical works post factum; others served the artists as self-imposed parameters for the creation of their works. Throughout the pandemic, the government’s safety measures became an extrinsic set of rules for the arts: safe distances, audience restrictions, hygiene measures. So what constitutes art in times of a pandemic? What has the pandemic made of art and of the art world?
Primarily, the restrictions that were in place throughout the pandemic were, of course, devastating for artists and for the art world. Contemporary artists, however, have also been quick to embrace the new situation creatively. The Contemporary Dance course at ZHdK, for instance, addressed the question of "How do you dance at a distance?"; concerts in the department of Music took place as livestreams; and students on the Stage Design course used the urban space for their exhibits for the 2021 graduation show.
The pandemic was also a major theme for artists at ZHdK to address in their works; thus, in the study project "Corona – Zeit für Pausen", or in the dance video "Antiviral", which illustrates the 2020 annual report of the university.