Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash

An artist has locked himself in a gallery since the COVID-19 lockdown started and is producing artwork inspired by comments from his Instagram followers.

Colombian artist Jose Ruiz remains locked in the Espacio El Dorado gallery in the central Colombian capital Bogota where he reportedly set up a bed and a stock of food 17 days ago with the owner’s permission.

When the virus crisis started, Ruiz wanted to create a piece of art consisting only of printed sentences that start with the word ‘hoy’ (‘today’), as suggested by gallery visitors.

He said: “’Today’ is a word related to hours and time, but it can simultaneously refer to any moment in our personal, collective or universal realities.”

The artist has since changed the project to include his Instagram followers who reportedly send him sentences every day which he sticks to the gallery’s walls.

He then posts photos of the ongoing artwork on social media so netizens can follow his progress.

According to local media, Ruiz is spending lockdown in the gallery with the permission of the director who allowed him to move a bed into the building and stock up enough food for a month.

The artist reportedly intends to work at the art gallery for at least four more months.

He also talks to local media and his online followers via video calls and his movements are being filmed by the gallery’s security camera, according to reports.

Ruiz said: “What I am doing is not intended to be innovative, but a reflection of what everyone is currently doing. It is a record of the daily routine of this strange moment in time.”

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