Inés Fontenla's Letter from Home During Italy's Coronavirus Lockdown

Inés Fontenla, an Argentine artist, contributes the final letter in a series published by Artribune during Italy's coronavirus lockdown. The series, initiated by Clara Tosi Pamphili, features letters from intellectuals including Antonio Mancinelli, Alessandra Mammì, Domitilla Dardi, Antonio Forcellino, Federica Lonati, Maria Luisa Frisa, Gianluca Marziani, Alessandro Facente, Pietro Mereu, Fabio Severino, and Reverie. Fontenla describes feeling suspended in a new time where daily commitments have evaporated, experiencing alternating gratitude and discomfort. She finds solace in silence, regained time for uninterrupted work, nature as a refuge, and new technologies that connect her with loved ones. She is working on artworks exploring the human relationship with trees, plants, and landscapes, using drawing and photography. She is reading Thomas Mann's "Lotte in Weimar" and rereading Alejo Carpentier's "The Lost Steps," drawn to the protagonist's retreat from consumer society into an essential, nature-immersed existence. The letter reflects on the emotional sustenance needed during physical isolation.