E Pluribus Unum

To remind a potentially unique moment in modern history, the extensive shutdown of the global economy caused by the pandemic, the artwork is a commemoration of the general iconic symbol for “economic growth “– the rising arrow. Yet, it also refers to a physical source composed of uncountable fine cracks forming the remains of a former guidance signal on an abandoned airfield. As people got used to reading air travel statistics and available flights as an indicator of economic growth, 2020 was a pivotal year of negative extremes. The total number of flights scheduled globally was down by 63 percent. Moreover, while 20,000 planes were usually in the air simultaneously, more than 16,000 planes needed to park on the ground. As two-thirds of the commercial fleet stayed grounded, the former growth indicator became a logistic nightmare, and the number of non-operated planes worldwide documented an unprecedented economic shutdown. “E Pluribus Unum” reflects the degrowth factors in air travel from 2020 to the preceding year through the sizes and positions of the canvasses. It acknowledges and remembers this exceptionally critical moment in the 21st century and raise awareness of the nature of being altogether “grounded “on Earth.