Death to 2020

Image: © David Dixon Taken: 30 Dec 2020

'Death to 2020 - A Closing Ceremony' is an enormous piece of artwork by famed artist and satirist Christopher Spencer (aka “Cold War Steve”), which was published on December 28 on a wall at the Piccadilly end of Lever Street, replacing the Netflix advert which had appeared earlier (Image]). Cold War Steve is known for his satirical collages; this clever collage towers several storeys above street level and sums up what a wild year 2020 has been by depicting a burning planet populated by many of the major news stories of 2020. Coronavirus is a running theme throughout the collage. Its focal point is a huge Covid molecule, burning in a skip and a giant placard reads 'Death to 2020'. The dystopian image also features bats flying overhead and a pangolin in the foreground (the scaly animal has been linked to the spread of Covid-19), as well as a plague doctor. The conspiracy theory that Bill Gates is using the vaccine to inject people with microchips gets a nod, as do the 'Covid is a hoax' protesters. The piece appears to be somewhat US-centred. Some of the famous faces on the new artwork include Donald Trump swinging a golf club, Melania Trump carrying a suitcase and Kanye West campaigning for presidency. Lady Gaga is depicted in a 'Joe' sweatshirt alongside the president-elect Joe Biden. In the UK, Boris Johnson and the Queen chat over a giant Zoom call. As well as here in Manchester, the artwork has also appeared in Liverpool’s Lime Street on the former ABC cinema, and at Dalston in London. To see in the New Year and to celebrate the ending of 2020, Christopher blew up a special version of his Death to 2020 artwork at 8.20pm (2020 hrs) on New Year’s Eve, posting a video of the event on his web site. (https://coldwarsteve.com/2021/01/01/death-to-2020-a-closing-ceremony/ Death to 2020 - A Closing Ceremony).

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