Love in the Time of Corona

It sounds like a title by Gabriel García Márquez. Almost.

Can we, despite these troubled moments, love as we did before: in a light, carefree, and candid way? Do we have the luxury of being romantic? Distressing news about deaths, notifications popping up on our phones daily that provide updates by region, and drab press conferences announcing the waves to come… all weigh heavily on our consciences. However, this morbid atmosphere also makes us lean toward the opposite extreme: toward a drive to live and a desire to love fiercely.

This end-of-the-world feeling pushes us to find and appreciate the essentials at home and in our romantic relationships. It urges us to look for something real and authentic, and to say things as they are, as they come. This is what I came to understand through my own experiences, mixed with those of everyone who volunteered to participate in my photo series on intimacy and lockdown.

Even if tomorrow is uncertain, the desire to find one or many partners has been even more pressing for some people. Even though everything has been turned upside down, lovers have found each other in extraordinary circumstances. During a webcam photo session where the subjects pointed their own phones at themselves—in an abstract setting reminiscent of an anonymous city, like in one of Márquez’ magical novels—they offered me fragments of intimacy.

Élise and Robinson

(Élise) Breaking the rules is one more stressful thing to worry about, that’s for sure. At the same time, it’s very comforting to have someone to lean on right now. It’s also a funny dynamic for dating, since everything is closed.

(Robinson) Lockdown made me take a step back and reflect on my way of loving and forming new relationships.

Cécile and Laura

It gave us the time to get to know each other more deeply compared to what we would have done in normal times, while accelerating certain stages of our relationship.

Miryam and Drake

Away from other social distractions, we immediately immersed ourselves in emotional intimacy. No frills or formalities.

Luca and Charles

(Luca) It allowed me to take my time to trust him and to experience my relational anxiety like I needed to instead of just avoiding it. I had no choice but to face it. It helped me x1000 to heal from the abusive relationship I was in, and it showed me that love isn’t exactly what I thought it was, in a good way.

(Charles) Being in lockdown meant that I was able to discover this person intimately but faster, which allowed me to be as authentic with him as he was with me.

Stefania and Joel

(Stefania): Not being able to go out in public means that we don’t know each other socially. Every interaction you have with a third party leads to a discovery of a new facet of the person you’re dating.

(Joel): Lockdown has redefined how I understand relationships.

Sarah and Charles

Everything we experienced together happened during lockdown. Our relationship has become the centre of our social, family, and affective lives, and we could not imagine living without each other, as though we had always been together.

Will and Zoya

Because of the pandemic, we didn’t have any of the typical dating options (theatres, restaurants, bars, etc.). It pushed us to get to know each other faster. We spent a lot of time by the Lachine Canal simply getting to know each other. We listened to music and drank wine, and we got really close this way.

Antoine and Cédric

We had to find ways to see each other on the sly without our parents finding out.

Stéphanie and Nicolas

Lockdown had the effect of opening the door to self-disclosures from early on. Listening to and respecting our needs have become key to our shared pleasures.