This month marks one year since the beginning of something that seems more fitting as a scene from a sci-fi film, and that many will probably want to bury deep in the depths of their memories. Of course, we’re talking about the global pandemic of 2020 and the beginning of confinement.
And instead of running away from the emotions and feelings that arise when we think of the day everything started, we want to celebrate this anniversary. Why? Because we would like to acknowledge the harvest of the fruits of everything that we have learned and be thankful for having taken advantage of this moment. In a period that shook us up and took us out of our comfort zone, we had the opportunity to spend some time with ourselves. Despite the negative emotions, paradoxically, most of us were inside the most comfortable place on the planet: our home.
The seed of MOBzine was born in social isolation and we are proud of that. That’s why this month we have decided to share experiences from different members of our community with you. We’d like you to join us on our artistic remote journey, even though we never knew quite where it would lead us. We want you to travel with us through the history of our first edition of the MOBzine, where we will take the little treasures that emerged from our innermost spaces, and project them out into a shared one, celebrating creativity as the great ally that helps us through the complex situations that we face. We know that art and creativity are not the solutions, but we believe that they can help us to navigate our way through all kinds of situations. And if there is one thing that we are now more sure of than ever before, it’s that it’s always better when we’re together.
We know that art and creativity are not the solutions, but we believe that they can help us to navigate our way through all kinds of situations.
The beginnings of MOBzine
When the restrictions began and we found ourselves isolated, it didn’t take us long to realise the importance of finding new ways to connect, both with our community and especially, with ourselves. At a time when emotions were running high, we proposed to Mobbers to stay connected through art and creativity, by creating a zine together. A ‘zine,’ derived from ‘magazine’, is an independently or self-published booklet. We decided to call ours ‘Cocooning‘, from the English term that refers to the wellbeing we find inside our protective layer at home, when there is an external danger.
Mobber Jelena Marjanovic, exploring the canvas painting technique at her home.
The MOBzine project was nourished by each and every one of those expressions and impressions shared by our community who were willing to surrender to the path of uncertainty through these small creative expeditions.
Jumping into the void and expressing together.
‘Non-human friends’, ‘Conversations with oneself’ and ‘Reinventing the outside world’ were the three different sections we proposed as guides to be able to express our thoughts and sensations. Through any kind of creativity, such as drawing, writing, and different expressions of colour, perspective, language, and artistic technique, everything was valid when exploring our emotions through art. The MOBzine project was nourished by each and every one of those expressions and impressions shared by our community who were willing to surrender to the path of uncertainty through these small creative expeditions.
Julieta Puigdomenech and her project ‘Cocooning con Marieuge’
Little by little, we began to receive a wide range of amazing projects. We saw so much richness in each project, each little underworld of each participant, that we couldn’t wait to have a Zine in our hands… We decided to create a virtual route called ‘Cocooning’, collaborating with Explorins, a Spatial Storytelling App that converts content into adventures. We created an intimate journey through our homes to share thoughts, inspirations, struggles, and realities in that moment of isolation.
‘Cocooning’ is an English term that refers to the wellbeing we find inside our protective layer at home, when there is an external danger.
Where are we now?
Yes, it’s been a year now and many things -perhaps too many- have happened along the way. Taking advantage of the anniversary of this radical change in our lives, we ask ourselves, how are we now? Is there something that has changed inside us? What is our current link with the objects that surround us, our perception of the world, and the simplest, most everyday things? Are we creating and connecting with our inner world now that the situation has changed?
With these questions in mind, and with spring approaching, we are about to launch the first edition of MOBzine: Cocooning, our collective zine that collects all that raw art and memories that were great support last year. It’s about exposing ourselves to the world without fear, showing our intimate moments, taking our creations out of the incubator, and giving a little tour inside our walls that became a universe, and inside our most genuine selves that went through this period through art…
Discover MOBzine with us very soon!
