Reposted from Leap Into the Void by Michael Buitron
Almost twenty years ago, the first "Day Without Art" took place as a
way to remember those who have died of AIDS--and the impact the virus
has had on the arts community. A New York Times article from that era captures a sampling of some 800 events that happened in museums, galleries and symphony halls across the nation.
In
New York, in a prelude to the day's activities, about 500 people
crowded into the lobby and balconies of the Museum of Modern Art on
Thursday night for a service at which Leonard Bernstein dedicated a
two-minute composition for piano and two voices to ''those I love who
have died of AIDS.'' Calling the evening ''a half-hour of symbols,'' he
added, ''What we do tonight is only a symbolic reaction to threatening
and ugly issues.''
Today, looking at the on-line calendars for MOCA, The Getty, LACMA, and The Hammer, only the Getty lists events that mark the day. Does silence still equal death?
This got me to thinking...
Around
the era that the first effective therapies for HIV were being
developed, so was the internet. This means many artists who died young
have few references to their lives and work in cyberspace.
In light of this fact, I thought it would be a good idea to encourage bloggers worldwide post on December 1
as a way to remember an artist or art worker who died of AIDS, and show
the disproportionate impact the disease has had on the art world.
So
come back here on December 1 to read about an artist and friend of mine
who almost goes unmentioned on the internet, and feel free to link your
remembrance post to Leap Into the Void through the comment section.
For more by Michael Buitron, visit Leap Into the Void
Visual AIDS also encourages you to leave comments here.