DETENTION by Frank Willems.
Year: 2020
Size: 25×25 cm
Materials: Acrylic, marker on canvasboard
DETENTION is a powerful artwork that symbolically and confrontationally captures the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The piece consists of the word corona, written repeatedly and meticulously, as if it were a school punishment exercise. This setup immediately evokes associations with the classroom, where lines are written as a form of discipline and repetition.
The monotonous repetition of corona reflects the overwhelming presence of the pandemic in everyday life. Much like school punishment lines—meant to imprint a mistake—this artwork forces us to relive the collective experience of restrictions, fear, and uncertainty. The relentless repetition makes tangible how corona was not just a health crisis but also a psychological burden, an imposed reality that etched itself into our consciousness like a mantra.
The title DETENTION reinforces this idea: it refers to a disciplinary measure, a situation in which one is forced to reflect on their actions. However, in this context, it takes on a broader meaning. The work presents society as a whole in detention—trapped in the pandemic, confined by lockdowns, subjected to rules that had to be endlessly repeated.
With minimal means and a simple yet penetrating composition, DETENTION manages to capture a collective memory. It confronts the viewer with the endless repetition and the suffocating reality of the corona era while simultaneously inviting reflection on how we, as a society, deal with crises, discipline, and freedom.
Hashtags:
#corona #covid #lockdown #criminal work
