Silence Equals Death

What is AIDS? How do you get it? These are questions that need to be answered. There are a lot of misunderstandings about AIDS. People don't have enough information about this disease, just false rumors. For instance, that only homosexuals can get AIDS, which is completetly false. Everyone is at risk. Awareness and the truth about AIDS is very important. Everyone's help is needed in this fight against AIDS. We need cultural practices actively participating in the struggle against AIDS ( Kocur and Leung 144). Art has the ability to send powerful messages. Activists produce works of art to bring AIDS Awareness to others. Act up is one such group that tries to break the silence though art. Act up stands for the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. This group of individuals is responsible for the logo SILENCE=DEATH, which means being silent about this disease can only bring death. Acording to Bill Olander, a curator, he says, " To me, it was more than that: it was among the most significant works of art that had yet been done which was inspired and produced within the arms of the crisis" ( Kocur and Leung 144). Act up has created a symbol, an equation, that will always be a reminder to get involved with this AIDS crisis. Educate others in the truth about AIDS. Art is what survives, endures, transcends, art constitutes our legacy ( Kocur and Leung 142). Which means this piece of art will live on, long after its creaters are gone and it will continue the fight against AIDS.


Kocur, Zoya and Leung, Simon. Theory in Comtemporary Art since 1985.
1st ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2005. 144, 142 Print.