“Wash Your Hands” by Dean Moynihan & Leafcuts.
“On the 11th of March 2020 a global pandemic was declared. This is a live [visualization] of the death toll from COVID-19. Each grave stone represents an actual life lost.”
The coronavirus outbreak is one of the biggest global crises of the last seven decades.
Roundabout two hundred and eighty thousand people are infected right now.
Over one hundred thousand were sick thanks to the virus and recovered.
Nearly seventeen thousand five hundred others died.
This link gives a short, precise overview of the official numbers. The pandemic turned all our lifes around and continues to do so. It is a time of uncertainity and confusion, but also of grief and mourning. “Wash Your Hands” is an overwhelming symbol for this.
While it is easy to watch the news daily and to just hear the newest death count on the fly, “Wash Your Hands” serves as a memorial for all the deceased. For every single one of them, this serious game generates a tombstone based on live data. Besides wandering through this global cemetery, you can also pick up a rose and place it on a grave to show your condolence. You might also encounter some more dark ‘features’ like gravediggers preparing a new final resting place, when the data gets updated at your stay.
“Wash Your Hands” shows us the harsh reality and invokes an oppressive experience, thanks only to the actual death numbers, represented by the headstones and crosses. However, I am very glad that it exists, as the rising numbers of flowers are also a symbol. A symbol of my hope, that people care about each other. Of my hope that the majority of mankind will act in a thoughtful, empathic manner. Of my hope that we will see better times again, together – without forgetting the ones we already lost.
