An Authentic Window to History
The empty streets of London during the COVID-19 pandemic, captured on medium format film.
LCKDN20 Project
LCKDN20 is a comprehensive documentation of the empty streets of London during the COVID-19 pandemic, captured on medium format film and hand-printed on fibre base paper, by award-winning filmmaker and photographer Giacomo Mantovani.
Because we live in a digital world — where everything can be manipulated — it felt important to document that historic moment on film, as film offers a tangible record, a testament to its authenticity.
The shooting took place from March 30 to May 9, 2020, capturing over 1,600 pictures of the eerie beauty of deserted streets and places, across more than 40 locations in central London. This resulted in the most extensive documentation of London's empty streets captured on film.
A Museum Collection
LCKDN20 main ambition is to provide future generations with an authentic window to history. A tangible record of a moment of drastic challenges and changes for our communities and the entire world.
Part of the collection will be donated to museums to ensure it’s preserved for future generations. In that regard, the single edition print ‘LCKDN20 - National Gallery F04’ is now housed at the National Gallery.
Director Gabriele Finaldi described the print as “an image of great elegance and poignancy,” which “documents an important time in the life of the Gallery and in the history of London.”
Finaldi further described LCKDN20 as "an extraordinary photographic project, which is both aesthetic and documentary.”
Life of a Print
Life of a Print is a short film that chronicles the journey of the print ‘LCKDN20 - National Gallery F04’, from the moment the picture was taken to its donation to the National Gallery.
The Printing Process
Giacomo chose to work with fibre base paper for its superior sharpness and longevity. After testing a selection of fibre base papers, with different tonalities and finishes, Ilford Multigrade FB Classic Glossy proved to be the perfect choice, for its excellent clarity and neutral tone.
Each picture undergoes thorough study and multiple tests to achieve the best results. Due to the complexity of printing on fibre base paper, it can take up to ten days to fine-tune the printing settings and finalise a single picture.
Where Analogue Meets Digital
LCKDN20 represents the fusion between the analogue and digital worlds. Thanks to the augmented reality app Artivive, viewers can experience a post-lockdown version of each picture using their smartphones. This feature highlights the stark contrast between the pandemic and the post-pandemic.
If you'd like to experience the augmented reality feature of this picture, please download the Artivive app from your smartphone's App Store or Google Play Store.
Once installed, open the app and point your phone's camera at the picture below to view the post-lockdown version of the scene.
“LCKDN20 is not just a photographic project, but an authentic window into a unique historical moment. A moment in which an invisible enemy forced us to pause, proving to us that we have the power to change.
For that reason, LCKDN20 should be considered a testament, to be passed to the next generations, to inspire them and never forget.”
Giacomo Mantovani
Images created using ILFORD Photo films and darkroom papers.
Printed at Darkroom London.
Supported by Artivive.
For more information
Write to info@mantovani.co
Visit @LCKDN20 on Instagram