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Indepth Arts News: "MORE TO LOVE: The Art of living Together" 2008-07-24 until 2008-08-15 ARTAIDS , , TH Thailand
HIV transmission and Aids remain a serious problem in Thailand. Approximately 2% of the population of
Thailand is HIV+ (1 in 50 people). Thailand, like anywhere, gives a particular local shape to conditions for
the transmission of HIV, the physical affects of the virus and the social repercussions for people affected
by the virus and/or the disease.
Much has improved since HIV and AIDS first spread in Thailand. Organizations such as HIV-NAT, con-
nected to the Thai Red Cross, and the Wednesday Friends Club (a support group for those affected) are
doing much in terms of medical research and community support. However, problems remain and those
who living with HIV or have Aids can inevitably feel isolated and excluded from the rest of society. Particu-
lar problems are related to secrecy: HIV children, for example, are often isolated from their peers and, in
some cases, not even told about their status. Pregnant women carrying the virus have been encouraged
by their doctors to terminate their pregnancy and become sterilized. Moreover, local cultural beliefs and
social practices take their toil in terms of direct and indirect judgments.
ARTAIDS is a foundation that facilitates the creation and exhibition of visual art in to stimulate public
awareness of, and involvement in, the ongoing fight against Aids. ARTAIDS finances through donations
projects and by sponsoring and selling works of art. The main office located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands (www.artaids.com).
In Thailand, ARTAIDS has established a program providing advice and medication to HIV, as well as setting a yearly art camp for HIV infected children through HIV-NAT; a collaboration between Thailand, Aus-
tralia and the Netherlands which was established in 1996 under the care of the Thai Red Cross AIDS Research Centre in order to conduct clinical research according to international standards of Good Clinical
Practice. Moreover, ARTAIDS also support Thai contemporary art by working under this issue, in 2004,
ten artists were commissioned to exhibit artworks under the title Access for All as part of The International
Aids Conference in Bangkok. (www.artaidsfund.org)
“More to Love” was started in July 2007 and has different activities between artists-artists and artists-
doctors in order to encounter this issue and create the artworks under the concept of living together which
will be exhibited in July – August 2008 at 4 venues in Bangkok and December 2008 in Chiang Mai, Thai-
land.
The Art Center
PSG Art Gallery
Tadu Contemporary Art
TK Park
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This year, ARTAIDS organize the art event “More to Love: The Art of Living Together” with collabora-
tions from government and non-government sections in order to raise the awareness on fighting with
stigma around HIV by using art and creative activities to convey the message of that we can live together
with HIV/AIDS. As well as, to create a new perception of HIV through various kinds of media, we have
more than 100 people who contribute in this project, including doctors, people living with HIV, NGO, art-
ists, curators, writers, art and cultural workers, musicians, actor and actress.
