At Home

The world changed in 2020 in ways that no one could have expected. From months spent in quarantine grew a global movement for justice and equality. Each of us had to process and adapt to in our own way. In an effort to stay connected and support one another, we created At Home: a series of stories documenting the experience.

Woman in sunglasses standing outside the Bar in a Jar storefront beside a cart of bottled cocktails

Close-up of a man in a white beekeeping suit, his face seen through the mesh veil

Man with eyes closed and arms outstretched, a video projection falling across his face and shirt

The interviews

The heartfelt, human stories are really the magic of this site. We feel very proud to have created a space where people felt safe enough to share their stories and express themselves fully. There’s a lot to discover: humor and sadness, hope and despair, and creativity and stillness. Individually, each story offers a new perspective, told through a distinct voice and lived experience. Together, they create a beautiful time capsule effect, a portrait of a moment in time.

Back of a person with a shaved head and red stencil lines across the shoulders, a gloved hand on their neck

Hands with white marble-pattern nails and gold tips clasped together in front of mirrors reflecting a cloudy sky

Man in a black cap working at a wooden table by a window, surrounded by small bottles and plants

Woman in a grey apron smoothing the ribbed surface of a tall white ceramic vase

Angled grid of At Home interview pages mixing maker photos with pull quotes such as "We're all in this together"

At Home website showing four Berlin makers side by side, each with a portrait, name and story title, on black

As a storytelling platform, we knew we wanted to take an editorial approach to the site. The site scrolls horizontally, an intentional break from the normal vertical scroll that serves to reinforce the unique reality of early 2020. Each city stacks horizontally on the right like the spines of a book, offering a new chapter of this pandemic story.

Angled grid of At Home interview pages with portraits, artwork and quotes including "God, I miss the messy nightlife"

Our goal is to lift one another up and help people connect, empathize and support each other. We are grateful to each and every interviewee for sharing their story and contributing to this project.

Phone showing the Berlin chapter with Noel Alejandro's portrait and the title "Maintaining connection from afar"

Phone showing the interview quote "Coronavirus made me start looking for more colours in the light" above a palm tree photo

Support Makers page listing Berlin local businesses, arts and culture funds and other resources in white and red on black

Maker Index page listing Berlin makers by name and profession, with a photo of a woman at work beside the list

Title card reading "At Home is an effort to share stories from makers around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic"

photography

Helge Mundt captured portraits of the Berlin interviewees. With his help, this allowed us to provide a real, visual look at the situation in Berlin. Each maker was photographed from a distance either from the balcony or window, at home or in their private workspace.

Woman in a blue bomber jacket standing in a leafy courtyard with bicycles behind her

Handmade fabric face masks in satin, mesh and print laid out on a white table, one labelled Ylenia Gortana

Woman with long braids sitting on a parquet floor flipping through vinyl records, sleeves spread around her

Painted papier-mache animal mask hanging from a wooden stair post

Woman leaning in with a fine brush to a clay bowl taking shape on a ceramic 3D printer

Woman with long braids seated barefoot by a window among houseplants, holding a small potted plant

3D-printed terracotta ceramics on a table, a rippled square piece in front of two vases

Man in a white cap and long dark coat holding open the door of a Berlin apartment building in dappled sunlight

The makers

A massive thank you to all the makers who participated in the project.

Berlin: Abigail Wheeler, Alba Rey, Alex Hall, Elena Breuer, Fabio & Rupert of Roy Kombucha, Francisco G. Silva, Hiroo Tanaka, Izabela Rosiak, Joana Schmitz, Kikelomo Oludemi, Laureanne Kootstra, Maddy Ayers, Mathias Modica, Medhat Aldaabal, Noel Alejandro, Simon Kaiser, Tobias Raschbacher, Whitney Wei, William Bagnoli, Ylenia Gortana.

San Francisco: Derek Anthony, Emily Nathan, Genevieve Bandrowski, Jessica Furui, Jillian Knox, "Joonbug" Mcintosh, Kim Stace Thomas, Linda Fahey, Luca & David of Colpa Press, Sepehr Alimagham, Sincere Justice, Todd Tankersley.

London: April Hill Writing, Ayanna Birch-Bailey, Bruno Valasse, Charlotte Brooks, Crispin Jones, Dale Gibson, Daniel The Gardener, Em Cole, Emma Fineman, James Telford, Jemma Ryan, Jesse Laitinen, Majeda Clarke, Mark F. Painter, Meetal Patel, Monique Brown, Sista Barista.

New York City: Andre Bato, Christina Lonsdale, Haik Avanian, Miss Juliet, Rachael Yaeger, Reed Tankersley, Remi Odunsi, Sebastian Speier, Zipeng Zhu.