A window, at first glance, might seem like a solely practical physical object that lets in light and air into our buildings and allows us to see what is happening outside. However, due to its ability to connect inside to the outside, it has acquired a deeper meaning, especially in art and literature where an opening in the wall symbolizes communication, liberation, hope, opportunity, and even escapism.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone was confined between four walls, a view from a window could suddenly provide people with all of this and more. Seeing an opportunity to connect people during trying times, Barbara Duriau created the Facebook group ‘View From My Window,' encouraging its members to capture scenes from the comfort of their homes and share them with others so they could vicariously travel through them and break out of their isolation. Now there are more than 3.8 million people who continue to share the most incredible views through their windows, which you can find in the list below!
While you’re taking in their beauty, make sure to check out a conversation with founders of WindowSwap, Sonali Ranjit and Vaishnav Balasubramaniam, who kindly agreed to tell us about the inspiration behind their project, where people are also invited to share their views from their windows.
