Amid coronavirus outbreak, a Russian artist creates masks for insects
Though the masks do not actually protect animals – since they are in fact dead, and it is unlikely that insects could even contract coronavirus in the first place – the meaning is symbolic.
By AARON REICHA preserved grasshopper with a mask, a miniature artwork by micro-artist Anatoly Konenko, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is seen in an artist's workshop in Omsk, Russia May 21, 2020. Picture taken May 21, 2020.(photo credit: ALEXEY MALGAVKO/REUTERS)
A Russian artist, famous for his miniature works, centered his latest work on the coronavirus pandemic by creating tiny masks for insects to symbolically shield them from infection, Reuters reported.Anatoly Konenko – who made waves in 2002 when he was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the world's smallest book, a 0.9 mm. by 0.9 mm. version of Russian author Anton Chekov's Chameleon – created masks so far for a grasshopper, a wasp, a crab, a buck and a dragonfly. Konenko's models were found by him and others dead on the streets of Omsk.Though the masks do not actually protect the animals – since they are in fact dead, and it is unlikely that insects could even contract coronavirus in the first place – the meaning of his work is symbolic."Now, in this difficult time, we must understand now that it is necessary to save not only people but also animals and insects," Konenko told Reuters."This is a very comfortable mask," he added, holding a tiny mask made of medical fabric.The emphasis on protecting animals is important, as many animals around the world are suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic regardless of whether they can even catch the virus. In one example, a lack of food from tourists has caused monkeys in a city in Thailand to begin fighting over food. In addition, many animal shelters around the world, including in Israel, are suffering due to a shortage of staff.In the near future, Konenko plans to make masks for even smaller insects, such as mosquitoes.
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