March 2020
Covid-19 is spreading across the planet like wildfire. Countries are under lockdown progressively. The world stands still.
Barbara Duriau is Belgian and trained as a graphic designer has the outlook of a globetrotter.
Caught between isolation and her own wish to escape, an idea came to her in a flash. « We were going to be in confinement, at home with a single solitary view from our window for many long weeks. What is that view on the other side of the world? And what if I asked Internet users to take photos of their views and share them with other isolated people? This would give them a safe way to connect and escape. »
The View from my window Facebook group was born.
March 22
Barbara gets the idea to create the Facebook group.
March 23
she shoots and posts her view from her flat in Amsterdam. The group View from my window is created.
March 31
50,000 people are connected.
April 15
The group has 1 million members all around the world.
April 26
2 million people have joined the community VFMW.
November 18
The book View from my window comes out.
It is auto-published thank to a crowdfunding.
Today
View from my window continues to connect people around the world and has 3 million members.
The success is dazzling and global. Press from around the world jumps on the story.
From New York to Moscow, from Brussels to Mumbai, from Sydney to São Paulo; the photos are stunning or humble and are accompanied by a simple caption or a true-life story.
A real sense of community was created, with friendly and supportive comments exchanged.