VISUAL CULTURE
AIDS 2.0 Rethinking HIV/AIDS through its images Intro by Charlotte Kench Words by Avram Finkelstein Photos by Michelle McSwain
Avram Finkelstein is a seminal figure in HIV/AIDS activism in the United States and beyond. Since the 1960s, the Brooklyn-based artist, writer and activist has been a tireless advocate for gay rights and continually at the forefront of the fight for greater access to life-saving drugs for people living with AIDS. Not only is he one of the founding members of the AIDS advocacy group ACT UP (the Aids Coalition to Unleash Power), which was established in 1987, he is also one of the creative minds behind some of the HIV/ AIDS movement’s most influential images, such as the Silence=Death, AIDSGATE and The Government Has Blood on Its Hands posters. His work has been widely exhibited and he has made a prolific contribution to the movement, not only through his art and writing but through countless projects, lectures, public awareness campaigns and of course, direct political action. Now entering his mid-sixties, Finkelstein shows no signs of slowing down and continues to run ‘Flash Collective’ workshops across the United States. It is our honour to feature the writing of this legendary activist as he approaches the idea of ‘AIDS 2.0’ in light of the images and actions that have shaped our current perception of the HIV/AIDS movement.
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