Then & Now: 26 Photos Show How 2020 Has Changed The World As We Know It
The events of 2020 have changed the world as we know it. COVID-19 has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and jobs, upended the education system and gutted industries. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others have further exposed the devastation of systemic racism and police brutality. With life materially changed, we are forced to rethink how we interact with our communities.
In this photo essay, 13 photographers from The Everyday Projects — a global collective working to dispel misperceptions by documenting their home countries — return to scenes they had previously photographed. By contrasting these images of past and present, of then and now, we are reminded of a way of life that once was, and confronted with the grim unknown before us.
In addition to the 13 sets of before and after photos, you can also launch separate augmented reality experiences for five of the photographers’ locations. Immersive technology like AR has been touted for its ability to bring us virtually to places that we can’t visit physically. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this notion takes on an additional layer of relevance as travel restrictions and safety measures continue to limit visits with friends and family as well as the exploration of the world at large. Augmented reality provides an additional layer of depth, adding sound and texture to this important work.
In the five AR experiences below, you can transport yourself to Nairobi, Kenya; Kabul, Afghanistan; Atlanta, U.S.A.; Quito, Ecuador; and Wuhan, China. Recreate the feeling of being physically present at an art exhibition by placing these images in your own space and walking around them.
Click on the “Launch AR” button below the quotes to be taken into a 3D gallery experience, and hit the “Sound On” button to hear the stories of these five pairs of photographs from around the world.
YORIYAS YASSINE ALAOUI | CASABLANCA, MOROCCO
Three men and a bench in Casablanca, but during two very different...
