Q&A with The Guardian (December 2020)

1. Explain where these ships are moored and what ships they are

The AIDAnova, AIDAmira, COSTA Fascinosa and Mein Schiff Herz are 'At Anchor' off the shores of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands (hovering around position 28° 30' 45.792" N, 16° 9' 3.852" W).

2. Say when you first saw them

On 13th March 2020, Spain imposed one of the most restrictive lockdowns in the world - it lasted 98 days. I first saw the four cruise ships in early June, during Phase 2 of Spain’s State of Emergency 3-phase de-escalation plan, when we were finally allowed to leave our homes.

3. Explain why they are there

The Spanish government banned cruise ships from entering its ports on13th March 2020, as an extreme measure to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the country. At around the same time, virtually all of the world's cruise lines had suspended global operations due travel restrictions around the world. These four vessels, in prolonged layups, are waiting for the industry to resume operations.

4. Explain what happened to the passengers and crew

The passengers onboard the four cruise ships disembarked at various ports around the world, including Santos, Brazil and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands. This was dependent on their location when the announcement of a 'No Sail Order' for all cruise ships was made. Tenerife was chosen as a strategic lay-up position until a time when operations can be resumed. The vessels are currently being manned by a skeleton crew.

5. Tell us when you started photographing them and why

The more I watched the cruise ships, the more affinity I felt towards the scene unfolding in front of me. These massive empty vessels were just hovering, going nowhere. By early August I was captivated, and started thinking about how best to tell their story.

6. Explain how you and why you decided to do the timelapse - what did you want to capture/show?

I wanted to tell the story of how these four ships, despite being anchored, were still alive. Making an image of the same scene every 5 minutes allowed me to capture the subtle movement of the ships. The result shows their anchored dance as day turned to night.

7. Tell us what the ships have come to mean to you

I see the vessels as representing our lives across the globe during the pandemic. The anchored ships are still moving, but their range of movement has been massively curtailed. The same is true for us and our lives under restrictions.

8. Tell us how you think they symbolise 2020

I was first focused only on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel industry. As the pandemic continues, I view the images as representing life more broadly; we yearn to free ourselves from our 'anchored dance’ and leave behind our life in suspended animation.

Tiempos COVID-19: Animación Suspendida (Galería)

Este proyecto captura la danza anclada de cuatro cruceros vacíos mientras el día se convierte en noche.

Los buques encarnan nuestras vidas – alrededor del mundo – durante la pandemia. Los barcos anclados todavía se mueven, pero su rango de movimiento ha sido reducido enormemente. Lo mismo es cierto para nosotros y nuestras vidas bajo restricciones.

A medida que la pandemia continúa, las imágenes representan la vida de manera más amplia. Anhelamos liberarnos de nuestra "danza anclada" y dejar atrás nuestra vida en animación suspendida.

Passenger Ship AIDAnova was built in 2018 and is sailing under the flag of Italy.  The AIDAnova ranks 5th on the "Top 10 Largest Cruise Ships in 2020” list.  It can accommodate up to 5,200 passengers in 2,600 staterooms, which include 31 suites, 312 interior cabins, 198 ocean-view cabins and 1,655 balcony cabins.

Passenger Ship COSTA Fascinosa was built in 2012 and is sailing under the flag of Italy.  It can accommodate up to 3,800 passengers in 926 outside and 580 inside cabins.

Passenger Ship Mein Schiff Herz was built in 1997 and is sailing under the flag of Malta.  It can accommodate up to 1,912 passengers and has 8 different cabin categories.

Passenger Ship AIDAmira was built in 1999 and is sailing under the flag of Italy.  It can accommodate up to 1,800 passengers in its 714 cabins.