Enduring Visual Chronicles: Five Years of COVID-19

Renowned photographers revisit their seminal images from the early pandemic, capturing a spectrum of human emotions during a global crisis.

In a unique retrospective, 19 photographers have come together to share their most memorable captures from the COVID-19 pandemic as we reach the five-year mark since it emerged as a global threat. These powerful photographs transport viewers back to an era filled with uncertainty, reflection, and resilience.

The photographers not only documented the events; they personally experienced the sweeping waves of lockdowns and social distancing. Their work serves as a visual testimony to the profound sense of isolation and fear that gripped the world, as well as the remarkable human spirit in the face of adversity.

Take for instance the account from Hong Kong in January 2020, when the first COVID-19 patient was reported. Amidst the chaos, one journalist recounted racing to a hospital to bear witness. The emergency room buzzed with reporters clamoring to capture the moment. Through a back entry, he witnessed paramedics ensconced in full protective gear escorting a man, visibly stressed and sweating, onto a stretcher. Later confirmed as COVID-positive, this patient’s moment encapsulated the transition into a new reality fraught with health threats.

These striking images evoke not only the gravity of the pandemic but also the resilience of humanity, reflecting the connections forged during a period marked by disconnection. As we look back, these visual stories resonate with the collective memory of a world changed forever.