Closed / Locked by Muntadas

The newspaper project “CLOSED / LOCKED” by Muntadas provides a direct and unembellished account of his lower Manhattan neighborhood during the lockdown that began in March 2020.

In an effort to preserve an extraordinary moment when one of the world’s largest cities ground to a halt, walking through abandoned streets, Muntadas photographed the many “closed” signs found in storefronts nearby. With little precedent to rely on, the signs left the most pressing question (“for how long?”) unanswered.

Also documenting the ubiquitous plywood cladding turned billboard for graffiti and political speech, the resulting images were collated into a newspaper format and accompanied by excerpts from Beatriz Colomina’s text on the profound effects of Covid on life in the city.

About Antoni Muntadas

Antoni Muntadas was born in Barcelona in 1942 and has lived in New York since 1971. His work addresses social, political and communications issues such as the relationship between public and private space within social frameworks, and investigates channels of information and the ways they may be used to censor or promulgate ideas. His projects are presented via diverse media such as photography, video, publications, the Internet, installations, and urban interventions.