In the first months of the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing took root as a new norm, altering our physical environments and social rhythms. A new vocabulary of hierarchy— “essential / non-essential”, “quarantine”, “isolation”, “work from home”, “shelter in place” — introduced questions of priority and privilege.

This project offers a behind-closed-doors view of two places of refuge: one, a state-funded quarantine site for unhoused individuals, the other a family’s private, suburban home. Despite the stark contrast between these two settings, both “homes” point to the pervasive anxiety and boredom encountered in these places of shelter.