A very comforting showcase

Yo-Yo Ma performing Edward Elgar's Salut d'Amour

In March, when the Coronavirus wreaked havoc across many parts of the world, celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma took to playing pieces of classical music on the cello that he referred to as Songs of Comfort. The first one in the series, shot on an iPhone, was Antonin Dvorák's Going Home. And we've been hooked to Ma's social media ever since because, well, it did bring us comfort.

Inspired by this project, Google Arts & Culture (GA&C) has launched a virtual exhibition titled Culture of Comfort. Here, 11 creative professionals, including filmmaker Nandita Das, artist Jitish Kallat, dancer Lil Buck and Ma himself share how they find comfort in culture in these dire times. It's interesting to see these individuals talk about their approaches to comfort - while Das takes to pottery, Kallat seeks refuge in making art although making it is an "uncomfortable, arduous process" - in short videos that are synced to Ma's pieces during the lockdown.

Nandita Das

There are also slides curated by the artistes that help you discover things that you otherwise wouldn't really care to notice. For instance, renowned Mexico-based curator Ana Elena Mallet has picked three comforting objects including a Mukozuke (sweetmeat dish). Right below that, the exhibition asks you, "What are your favourite homewares?" with clickable tabs that direct you to porcelain, ceramic, wood and lacquer objects on GA&C. That's how I stumbled upon another online show of a Clock Museum by the Lithuanian Art Museum, and found my 15 minutes of comfort. Who would've thought?

Log on to g.co/cultureofcomfort

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