Author: Cherine Fahd (MENAFN - The Conversation) In late November, I led a participatory performance, A Proxy for a Thousand Eyes , at the Sydney Opera House. Among the performers were three videographers and two photographers. Their role was to record a loosely choreographed routine of touching between myself and the participants who joined me at the specially designed, Covid-safe screens. The pandemic has highlighted the desire and need for physical contact and the integral role touch plays in socialisation and well-being. COVID-19 has not only forced us to be physically apart but to perceive bodies â both our own and others â as risky.