In these days of social isolation and lockdowns, award-winning artist Marco Luccio’s latest project is an effort to reach out and engage with individuals who have suddenly found themselves occupying a dramatically changed social landscape. Undertaken in collaboration with Melbourne-based company Rock Posters, you may have already seen Luccio’s poster during solitary walks around Melbourne and Sydney. Or, if on Instagram, you may have seen the poster shared by passers-by who have noted the striking image – an etching of two albatrosses lovingly touching each other’s beaks, accompanied by the words ‘LOVE’, ‘HOPE’ and ‘TRUST’.

Why the albatross? For Luccio, the albatross is a symbol of both isolation and social fidelity: “This solitary traveller crosses immense distances alone, yet its objective is always to reunite with its life-long partner and companions”. The albatross is often ‘at sea’, and many of us may find ourselves, metaphorically, in a similar position having had our usual modes of life taken from us in the blink of an eye. Yet, according to Luccio, “with love as the driving force, trust in the process, and hope for the future we can also emerge to a new reality enhanced by the reflection on meaning that enforced solitude tends to provoke”.

In keeping with the times, Luccio has created space for this project to slowly evolve and emerge. It allows for discovery of the works and engagement with them in ‘real life’ rather than in the (currently forbidden) context of an art gallery. It is a social gift from an artist driven to contribute to and communicate with a wide array of single-person audiences. Members of the public are encouraged to capture and share their responses to the works via the hashtag #lovehopetrust