Art Global Health Center's blog

JOHANNESBURG, SA – Elated. Exhilarated. Exhausted.
The closing event for Through Positive Eyes was incredible. It was one of those experiences where you feel lucky to be in the room because you realize that you are in a space where people have come alive. You are exactly where the magic is happening and you want to celebrate right in the middle of it.

JOHANNESBURG- It’s Friday at 7:30 pm. We started working this morning at 8 am. But we did it. We made it through the group edit which means the workshop is complete! After hours of sitting in one hot room together, looking at photos from/with the HIV+ new photographers, arguing over this image over that one, laughing, and overcoming the exhaustion of a grueling process, we emerged as a collective with an amazing collection of images. Each participant now has their set of 12 images, and they are really strong.

We are past the halfway point! Gideon has taken 12 of 17 of the portraits and beginning earlier today, participants are coming in to the workshop space to edit their complete collection of images. We’re excited for the group edit this Friday when we will decide on each person’s 12 image exhibition as a collective.

Just north of Pretoria, South Africa at 6:15 pm. The orange sun was starting to go down and bringing the red dirt aglow as loud music from several different houses filled the air. I spent sunset tonight watching photographer Gideon Mendel take a portrait of Pleasure in front of his house in a small town on a dirt road. He wore an “HIV-Positive” construction worker style orange vest and had a fist in the air as he cast a strong look into Mendel’s camera.

Day 4 – Johannesburg

To see photos of the workshop opening, go to http://s843.photobucket.com/albums/zz360/Art_Global_Health_Center/South%....

The HIV+ South African art-activists came back today with their first round of photos and I was blown away. A passionate kiss. A moment of tough solitude. A teenage son home laughing on the couch. Windows into their lives that were not only touching, but amazing photographs in their own right. I can’t wait to see more of the images that everyone brings back.

Day 3, Johannesburg Tue, Mar 2

Through Positive Eyes – South Africa began today.
All of the 17 participating HIV+ activists showed up at the site and we wasted no time at all in getting to know each other. After short introductions by Pholo and David Gere (head of the Art | Global Health Center at UCLA) on the history and importance of the project, it was time to get going.

Day 1 in Johannesburg Sun, Feb 28

Johannesburg, South Africa -- We landed at about 7 am, myself having not slept much in the past two days. The airport looked recently remodeled and was filled with shops selling World Cup items, with the tournament starting in a few months.
We met up with Pholo who we’ll be doing Through Positive Eyes with. He found all of the HIV-positive participants that we’ll be training as photographers and activists, and has set everything up on the ground. We are so excited to meet the group and get started.

Claudia Mendoza is a language and cultural assistant living in Spain and the newest blogger for MAKE ART / STOP AIDS. She is currently researching the ways in which artists are responding to the stigma of HIV/AIDS and the dynamics that exist between organizations involved with preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

HELP HAITI
Friday, January 22, 2010

Donate online at http://act.pih.org/page/outreach/view/haitiearthquake/faceaids and FACE AIDS will match your donation DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR!

A day of events to raise funds for Haiti Earthquake Relief

As you may already know, Haiti was very recently hit by a devastating 7.0 earthquake; a natural disaster with staggering human costs. Please join us to take action and do what we can to help out during these times of crisis.

9:00 am: Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater
Benefit Yoga taught by Kishan Shah

10:30 am: Glorya Kaufman Dance Theater

This is My Story is a documentary on the UCLA/CHANCO Performance Project, which took place in Zomba, Malawi in 2008. The project engaged local People Living with HIV/AIDS and University students in an intensive creative process, leading to a performance. The documentary tells the stories of the participants, the project and its impact on them. For more information visit www.thisismystory.info or www.makeartstopaids.org