Visual AIDS announces a program of five videos generating connections between HIV and other forms of illness and disability. Inspired by a statement from Cyrée Jarelle Johnson in the book Black Futures, Everyone I Know Is Sick examines how our society excludes disabled and sick people by upholding a false dichotomy of health and sickness. Inviting us to understand disability as a common experience rather than an exception to the norm, the program highlights a range of experiences spanning HIV, COVID, mental health, and aging. The commissioned artists foreground the knowledge and expertise of disabled and sick people in a world still grappling with multiple ongoing pandemics.

Everyone I Know Is Sick will feature newly commissioned short videos by artists working across the world:

Dorothy Cheung (Hong Kong)
Hiura Fernandes & Lili Nascimento (Brazil)
Beau Gomez (Canada/Philippines)
Dolissa Medina & Ananias P. Soria (USA)
Kurt Weston (USA)

The artists in this year’s program were selected through an open call process juried by writer Kimberly Drew and artists Marguerite Van Cook, Charan Singh, and Pato Hebert.

Visual AIDS’ video commission program is supported by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Day With(out) Art
In 1989, to make the public aware that AIDS can touch everyone and to inspire positive action, Visual AIDS presented the first Day Without Art—organizing museums and art institutions nationwide to cover up their artwork, darken their galleries, and even close for the day—to symbolically represent the chilling possibility of a future without art or artists. Since then, Day With(out) Art has grown into a collaborative annual project in which organizations worldwide present exhibitions, screenings and public programs to highlight work by HIV+ artists and artwork addressing current issues around the ongoing AIDS pandemic. ENDURING CARE is the 32st annual Day With(out) Art project.


Visual AIDS
Founded in 1988, Visual AIDS is the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to HIV prevention and AIDS awareness through producing and presenting visual art projects, while assisting artists living with HIV/AIDS, and preserving the work of artists with HIV/AIDS and the artistic contributions of the AIDS movement. www.visualaids.org


Credits
This online platform is based on a design by Glen Fogel.


Funders
We would like to thank the following funders who support Visual AIDS work and mission: Alphawood Foundation Chicago, The Andy Warhol Foundation, Dr. Daniel S. Berger Charitable Giving Fund, a Donor Advised Fund of Renaissance Charitable Foundation, Between Bridges, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS,Council for Canadian American Relations, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, Gilead Sciences, The Keith Haring Foundation, Marta Heflin Foundation, Humanities NY, Japan Foundation, JW Anderson, Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, LOEWE, National Endowment for the Arts, New York Community Trust's DIFFA Fund, New York Gay Pool League, NYU Community Fund, The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, Supreme, Teiger Foundation, Tish & Snooky's Manic Panic NYC, Todd Snyder, ViiV Healthcare, Rafael & Diana Viñoly Foundation, and our generous individual donors.  

Our programs are supported in part by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Additional funding is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. .