Overview
Kowheori-19 │ Covid-19
The coronavirus known as Covid-19 has caused huge and devastating impacts on health and economies in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. Since December 2019, when the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was reported in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread rapidly around the globe. Many countries went into periods of ‘lockdown’ to reduce transmission, with businesses closed, and citizens ordered to stay home.
New Zealand reported its first case of Covid-19 on 28 February 2020. On 19 March, for the first time in history, the government closed New Zealand’s borders to all but New Zealand citizens and permanent residents. The government introduced a Covid-19 Alert System to manage and minimise the risk of Covid-19, and to help people understand the current level of risk and the restrictions that had to be legally followed. The levels were: Level 1 Prepare; Level 2 Reduce; Level 3 Restrict; Level 4 Lockdown.
Alert Level 2 came into force on Saturday 21 March 2020, and at 11.59pm 25 March the government placed the entire country into Alert Level 4 lockdown and into a state of national emergency. The country remained at Level 4 until 11.59pm 27 April 2020, and Level 3 until 11.59pm 13 May. The country moved to Level 1 at 11.59pm 8 June 2020.
Te Papa’s first round of collecting largely relates to the first few months of the outbreak of Covid-19 in New Zealand and to the national lockdown period. During this time people sought to process the magnitude of what was happening through creative expression and entrepreneurial adaptations.
Our collecting themes include: life in lockdown, official campaigns and information graphics, photographs of spontaneous community messaging in city streets, essential workers, mask making and wearing, Māori responses, New Zealanders of Asian and Pacific heritages and their experiences of the pandemic, racialisation of the virus, and Pacific region responses.
Some of the objects are embedded with key images, phrases and concepts of the period, e.g. ‘be kind’, ‘stop the spread’, ‘flatten the curve’, ‘bubble’, ‘curve crusher’, ‘social distance’, ‘panic buying’. Images of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield appear in objects made by devoted fans. Both leaders were praised for their calm and clear communication during the crisis.
As the impacts of Covid-19 will be felt for many years, Te Papa’s collection will continue to grow and reflect the diverse experiences of the peoples of Aotearoa.