Highlights
- Daniel Connell uses art to tell the stories of the struggle faced by temporary visa holders amidst pandemic
- Mr Connell has made several portraits and short videos of migrants from 14 different countries
- Indian international student Paramjot Singh has also shared his story
Mr Connell has made portraits and recorded short videos of 14 migrants giving them a unique platform to narrate their stories of struggle during the ongoing health crisis, as part of his COVIV 20 project.
In one of his recent portraits, the artist has showcased the journey of Paramjot Singh, an Indian student from Sangrur in Punjab, who is currently studying nursing in Adelaide.
"Paramjot's story was moving and apt. Besides him, there are 13 more people from different countries such as South America, Africa, Europe, North Asia, and South Asia who have participated in the project.
"They are students and workers involved in different fields like Information Technology, food, health and other areas important for the country. We had invited people to send in their stories and pictures," Mr Connell told SBS Punjabi.
Talking about his journey so far, Mr Singh who arrived in Australia just before the pandemic struck said that he always dreamt of studying abroad, but wasn't prepared for the challenges he encountered so soon after landing in the country.
An Adelaide-based artist Daniel Connell, as a part of his art project titled COVIV 20 has tried to highlight the struggles faced by temporary visa holders Source: Supplied
“My grandfather died exactly a month before I had to fly to Australia. He was my emotional and financial support. I had always dreamt of studying here and to fulfil my dream, so I came to Adelaide in February last year. "
Mr Singh recalled how it became extremely hard to make ends meet in the initial few months as he could not find a job to supplement his income while he studied online.
"The situation was really bad, Australian citizens were losing jobs so there was no chance of students getting any work. But just then the Indian-Punjabi community came forward to help us with living expenses and food.
“I was introduced to Daniel who helped me in networking and finding jobs. My struggle is still on and next year, I will have to work even harder to earn money for so I can pay my fee for the course,” Mr Singh said.
COVIV 20: How it all started:
Mr Connell said he was upset with Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s appeal to temporary residents to go back to their home countries at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak.
This prompted him to use his skill to highlight the struggles and the significant contribution of migrants who he believes are an integral part of Australian society.
“At the very beginning of pandemic COVID-19, the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that temporary visa holders need to go home if they don't have the means to support themselves. I felt really embarrassed by that statement and decided to bring forth the struggles of temporary visa holders who literally run this country," said Mr Connell.
Filmmaker Rigved who assisted Mr Connell to make videos for his project said he could relate to the struggles of the participants as he himself came to Australia on a temporary visa.
“I became part of this project to portray the struggles of fellow migrants. I’m a temporary migrant myself, so I could relate to their story and was closely involved in bringing out the true picture in the documentary.”
The struggle to find a job in lockdown for making both ends was real.
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If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
