Day Without Art

AIDS and the immunodeficiency virus have claimed the lives of many people. Rock musician Freddie Mercury, ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev, writer Isaac Asimov, actor Rock Hudson, poet and translator Gennady Shmakov - this is not a complete list of victims of the “plague of the 20th century.” In memory of people who died from a terrible disease in 1989, more than 800 museums and art galleries held an action dedicated to the fight against AIDS. Since then, December 1st is celebrated annually around the world as Day Without Art. Throughout Day Without Art, volunteer events are held to attract public attention to the problem of the spread of AIDS and HIV. Museums and art centers host thematic exhibitions, readings and lectures. And if in 1989, gallerists, as a sign of support, removed paintings from the walls, replacing them with posters with information about AIDS, then 11 years later, famous directors began to produce special videos for the project. They are demonstrated on December 1 in museums, art schools and other organizations in order to attract people's attention to the threat of HIV and measures to prevent the disease. The main idea of ​​the Day Without Art is to strengthen a person’s inner fullness and the strength of spirit that creative activity brings into everyday life. On December 1, the memory of artists who died of AIDS is honored. Thus, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1991, an exhibition was held with empty frames instead of photographs or paintings and empty pedestals for sculptures. This action became a symbol of the fact that in place of unused canvases and bases for statues there could be creations of artists and sculptors who died due to HIV. At the same time, a bell rang every 10 minutes in memory of a person who died from the “plague of the 20th century.” In Russia, events dedicated to the Day Without Art are held by the Voznesensky Center, an art platform dedicated to modern Russian culture. In 2020, within the framework of the international project “One Blood”, educational initiatives were held, telling about the disease of HIV and AIDS of artists who left an important mark on world culture. The Voznesensky Center exhibits works of art by those whose lives were cut short due to a terrible diagnosis. Sculptor Keith Garin, a friend of Yoko Ono and Andy Warhol, after learning about his illness in 1988, began to actively fight public taboos that existed regarding the “plague of the 20th century.” He spoke about the issue for the rest of his life, until he died of AIDS-related complications in 1990. Artist David Wojnarowicz learned in the 1980s. about a positive HIV test, began to actively involve the public in the problem of sexual minorities and safe sex life. Photographer Robert Mapplethorpe spoke openly about his diagnosis in the media, and in 1988 he founded a foundation that sponsors research into the human immunodeficiency virus. Minimalist sculptor and installation artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres created art objects in memory of his lover who died of AIDS. The artist’s own life was also cut short at the age of 38 from complications associated with HIV. Despite the political correctness and tolerance of modern society, we have to admit that AIDS most often affects representatives of sexual minorities. Sodomy and sodomy are condemned in the Old and New Testaments, which gives believers reason to talk about the justice of punishment and the onset of God's punishment for homosexuals. It is impossible to say for sure whether HIV is retribution for those who encroached on the creator’s intention regarding the union between a man and a woman. The life of both a sinner and a holiday is priceless, and the passing of creative people from the lives is doubly tragic. Therefore, December 1 is celebrated as Day Without Art in memory of AIDS victims.