The Covid Art Museum

Launched on March 19, 2020—just days after much of the world went into lockdown—The Covid Art Museum (CAM) emerged as an innovative and timely response to the global pandemic. Created by Spanish creatives José Guerrero, Emma Calvo, and Irene Llora, this digital museum exists entirely online, with a curated Instagram page and a thoughtfully designed website serving as its exhibition platforms. Their Instagram (@covidartmuseum), updated regularly, functions as a rolling exhibition space, featuring new artworks daily throughout the height of the pandemic. Over its two years of activity, CAM amassed over a thousand submissions from across the globe and accrued more than 133,000 followers by 2025. The museum officially ceased its updates on March 27, 2022, but its archives remain publicly accessible, serving as a vital document of the shared global experience of COVID-19.

The museum’s website, designed by Zhenya Rynzhuk and Synchronized Studio, enhances the browsing experience with a clean grid system and fluid interactivity that emphasizes visual diversity. Thematically, many featured works blend humor, critique, and emotional resonance during the pandemic. For example, Jewish artist Max Bahman’s satirical grilled cheese mask—a literal sandwich pressed against a face—pokes fun at both the DIY culture that emerged early in the pandemic and the absurdity of life under quarantine. Meanwhile, Instagram artist Ali Beckman’s illustrated piece, giving 2020 a “one-star review”, uses humor to critique the emotional toll of the year. Unlike traditional museums, which rely on institutional access and often a hierarchical curation model, CAM thrives on decentralization and openness. Anyone can submit, and anyone with internet access can view. At a time when physical museums were shuttered, travel was impossible, and even local cultural spaces were inaccessible, CAM therefore provided a rare form of cultural continuity. The project’s participatory nature reimagines what an art institution can be in a time of crisis.