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Portrait of a Plague:
AIDS & Art in Africa
3rd Floor, West Wing
Through Aug. 15
Sub-Saharan Africa has just over 10% of the world's population, but is home to more than 60% of all people living with HIV-25.8 million. In 2005, an estimated 3.2 million people in the region became newly infected, while 2.4 million adults and children died of AIDS. The AIDS epidemic has exacted a devastating toll on households and communities, erasing decades of health, economic and social progress.
Fighting AIDS within South Africa presents many challenges. HIV-related stigma and discrimination often prevent people from seeking treatment. Traditional practices and beliefs, particularly with regard to gender roles, inhibit conventional approaches to AIDS education. Many community organizations have turned to the arts for innovative AIDS education and outreach projects.
One arts-based intervention, the Siyazama Project, uses traditional and contemporary artistic expression to document the realities of HIV/AIDS and facilitate communication about the virus. The handcrafted, beaded cloth dolls and tableaus visually portray gender issues, traditional practices, and cultural conceptions affecting the AIDS pandemic.
Exhibit produced by Anita Ezzo, with graphics assistance from Theresa Moore.
The beaded dolls in this exhibit were created through the Siyazama Project and are on loan from the MSU Museum. To view more artistic work created by participants in the Project, please visit the exhibition:
Siyazama: Traditional Arts, Education, and AIDS in South Africa
February 5, 2006 - January 7, 2007 -- MSU Museum Heritage Gallery
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