Early in the 1980s AIDS epidemic, six gay activists created one of the most iconic images that would come to symbolize a movement: a protest poster of a pink triangle with the words “Silence = Death.” The graphic and the slogan still resonate today, often used—and misused—to brand the entire movement.
As cofounder of the Silence = Death and Gran Fury collectives, Avram Finkelstein shares behind-the-scenes stories about art and activism, the formation of collectives, the political process, and tactical practices, offering fresh insights into the history of HIV/AIDS and a toolbox to help future generations develop new strategies for making life-saving art.
The publication After Silence: A History of AIDS Through its Images is a personal account intended to open space for the many counter-narratives of HIV/AIDS that fall in the shadows of how we talk about it, and considers the political meanings of the way histories are constructed. Avram will be in discussion with Dr Monica Pearl, a co-member of the Act Up NY movement and Lecturer in 20th Century American Literature at the University of Manchester.
Limited copies of After Silence: A History of AIDS Through its Images will be available at a discounted rate on the night while stocks last.