In the years to come, "hindsight is 20/20" takes on a new meaning, beyond just generic clarity for something past. It will hearken to the kind of understanding that comes with time specifically for a year of crises, frequently called unprecedented—a word which signifies unforeseen, a contrast to hindsight. As we travel through time, we better understand the causes and effects of the virus and social upheaval, the failures of states and successes of scientists, the ebbs and flows of the strange passage of time on our everyday selves.

Yet, while with distance we see the whole picture, there are simultaneously things we see less clearly. We'll forget, misremember, misinterpret; we'll highlight some perspectives and experiences more than others, and record incorrectly or not at all, by accident or intention. Perhaps more strongly than clarity on the events of this past year, "hindsight is 20/20" signals a year that will forever be in our rear-view mirror, grounding and shaping society and individual lives.

As vaccinations ramp up and reopening competes with rising variants, we are still in the penumbra of the pandemic's present. And so we ask: in what ways is presentsight 20/20? What do we not have to wait to understand? What do we know better now than we will when looking back? In what unique ways to we understand and make sense of our present, while we are still within the thrall of SARS-CoV2?

This showcase includes objects made during 2020 and the start of 2021. Each object, intentionally or not, captures some view of (and from) the present it was made in: influenced by the concepts, materials, understandings of its day. By collecting and looking at art made during the pandemic, we hope to substantiate something of the zeitgeist of the Tufts community during this time.

This exhibit's presentation, on a virtual platform, doubles down on representing the limits, abilities, and culture of this moment: while we can't see physical objects up close or from different angles, community members from the Boston or Grafton campuses don't have to travel to Tisch Library to see the showcase. This will doubtless change how we operate in the future—perhaps the physical will be seen as an add-on in the way the virtual was seen just two years ago. But right now, we're not yet looking back in hindsight. We're putting the finishing touches on the present—a present that will shape the future from which we will look back, molding it in ways currently unforeseen—while seeing the current moment in the only way we ever can: now.

Below:
Abigail Epplett AG21. M.A. Museum Education, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Abby Kelley Foster: Freedom, Faith, and Family, 2020. Photography; scanned handwritten letters, lithograph portraits, and other documents; vector graphics.

Artist statement: "I created this exhibit, Abby Kelley Foster: Freedom, Faith, and Family, for the Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park in the summer of 2020 as part of the 100th anniversary celebration for the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave American women the right to vote in federal elections. Abby Kelley Foster was a human rights activist who believed everyone should be treated equally and with respect, regardless of their race, sex, religion, ability, or socioeconomic status. Truly a woman ahead of her time, Kelley Foster's words and actions are still relevant in the social justice movements of today. I hope this exhibit inspires future activists to demand their rights and seek the truth.

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Above:
Tyler Markovich A22. B.A. candidate in Film & Media Studies, School of Arts & Sciences.

Hoapili, 2021. Photograph.

Tisch 02, 2021. Production still.