Mr. Covid
Mr. Covid was born back in April 2020, when the world faced lockdown. It was the beginning of the global pandemic. We didn't know what that even means. When the vibe is that strong in the world I'm not running away from it. If it comes, I create. And, so, he came: Mr. Covid – The Beast - the personification of “plague of 2020” - Covid 19, global pandemic in all its grace.
He wears the mask of a plague doctor of 14th century – the period that took lives of millions on people in Europe, also known as Black Death and often compared to the Corona virus rapidly spreading around the world and taking lives in 2020, but that's not the main thing carrying the meaning behind this creation. The staff in hand of this mister is altered caduceus - also known as staff of Hermes (in Greek mythology) or Mercury (in Roman mythology). In short, a winged wand with two snakes around - caduceus - was known to be able to "wake the sleeping and send the awake to sleep".
Nowadays caduceus is known mostly as the symbol of commerce and negotiation - two realms in which balanced exchange and reciprocity are recognized as ideals. From classical period to modern times caduceus has appeared in many cultures around the world and the meaning of the symbol and its details is still expanding. It's a symbol of hermeticism, healing, sign of peace, connection between spirituality and materialism, feminine and masculine intertwining with each other, dualities of primal life forces, and often used as a symbol of medicine (what comes from confusing caduceus with the ancient symbol of healing arts and medicine - Rod of Asclepius - wand with one snake).
At the top of the winged staff usually is a sphere or a pine cone. At the top of the staff of The Beast Mr. Covid is molecule of the virus, as seen in media informing us about the virus and the ways to deal with it. And just like those divine messengers associated with caduceus - Hermes and Mercury - Mr. Covid moves quickly and freely. Unseen, yet greatly affecting our daily lives, what we do, think and feel. What's behind the mask of the plague doctor? Who knows... It's hidden.
