Portraits of a pandemic

He says museums are where the material evidence of times is kept, and when people re-examine these photos and videos years later, they'll better understand how much these images mean as historical references.

A group of photos by Xu Bing were taken in Brooklyn, New York City, in March. They show his studio, where he was for the opening of his solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and where he was held up for a longer period as the coronavirus spread in the metropolis.

Xu says the photos reflect his everyday activities during the period. These include preparing meals and putting them and other necessities in a basket that was pulled up by his daughter, her classmate and his niece, who were staying on the studio's top floor for a 14-day self-quarantine.