FAROUK ALAO, 22, Limerick, Ireland at IMM
reflecting isolation
F WORD: How have you been dealing with the whole isolation thing? FAROUK ALAO: I found the whole situation surreal and frustrating initially because I run an Art collective here and I've been working on an exhibition with 10 artists for about 4-5 months and I had to put everything on hold and I won't get to finish my final year; but, at the end of the day, it's all for the greater good.
F WORD: What have you been doing to occupy your time and mind? FAROUK ALAO: I've been TRYING to do uni work and freelance client work. I've been going on a lot of photo-walks trying to document what's happening in my city. I'm also in the process of turning my living room into a studio so I can stay creative at home.
F WORD: How are you feeling about the COVID-19 pandemic? FAROUK ALAO: Definitely not a fan of it.
F WORD: What are your thoughts on how your government and the world is dealing with it? FAROUK ALAO: I think the Irish government is doing a pretty good job so far; they locked down all schools and public gatherings which has helped keep the death toll down. They also vowed to help out people who can't work right now. But I think they should really put a rent and bill freeze for everyone right now.
F WORD: What would be your perfect soundtrack for this time? FAROUK ALAO: Frank Ocean - In My Room.
F WORD: Can you suggest a movie/series/or book we should check out during isolation? FAROUK ALAO: Short films for me. There's a sick YouTube channel called Omleto and they have a huge library of award-winning short films all for free. But on Nextflix I would suggest 'Sell Made' (very inspiring); 'Ozark' which they just dropped season 3; 'Inside N9' which is a great dark comedy; it's a bit like Black Mirror in terms of format and every episode is a different story.
F WORD: A hopeful statement to encourage others: FAROUK ALAO: This is a great time to reflect and ask yourself a few questions; how is my relationship with family and friends? Can I do anything to make it better? Am I moving my life in the direction I want to? Am I happy with who I am? If not; what do I need to change that is within my control? And what can I do to help make mother nature's life easier?
F WORD: Favourite f-word: FAROUK ALAO: 'Farouk' because it means truth and king.
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