Covid Bubbles: Californians Dress for Emergence Billboards
This series of billboards along with a subsequent printed publication were designed with artists Robin Lasser and Adrienne Pao, who were some of the artists commissioned to create a body of work based on the State of California's "Your Actions Save Lives" campaign. The billboards were created in collaboration with the San Jose Vietnamese and Latinx communities who are shown in the photographs showcased in the billboards along with messages that are written in both English and either Spanish or Vietnamese, with the goal to empower these communities and encouraging getting vaccinated. Twelve individual billboard went up in San Jose, CA from July - August 2021.
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Covid Bubbles: Californians Dress for Emergence is one of 18 statewide community projects commissioned by the State of California and The Center at Sierra Health Foundation.
Billboard Design and Locations
Each billboard was designed to include a photograph showcasing either the Latinx or Vietnamese community, along with messaging around vaccination and community empowerment in several languages. For the Latinx billboards the messages were cut out on papel picado, a traditional Mexican paper craft where designs are cut from colored paper and strung up for celebrations. For the Vietnamese billboards, the messages were written on paper lanterns and held by community members.
Both also include a bubble-like installation structure that is part of a 'wearable dress tent', custom fabricated for each community, as well as some community members wearing traditional clothing from their respective cultures.
The photographs and messages were composited to form the billboard designs that were installed around San Jose, including the electronic billboard over Highway 101.
