Madikida uses the colour red to show the devastation HIV causes in the human body

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Madikida's exhibition prompts viewers to reflect on their own HIV status

An exhibition of HIV/Aids Status Standard Bank Young Artist Award 2006 winner, Churchill Madikida, explores the effect of HIV/Aids on affected and infected persons through an exhibition called Status. August 10, 2006 By Thabang Mokoka A NEW media exhibition, appropriately named Status, explores the stigma of HIV/Aids through graphic images of blood spatterings. Complemented with a walkabout and a presentation by the artist Churchill Madikida at midday on 15 August and a presentation at 6.30pm, the exhibition will run from Sunday, 13 August to Sunday, 1 October at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in The Project Room. Madikida, winner of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award 2006, says his exhibition was prompted by his experience of his sister dying of Aids-related complications. He explains that the title refers to one's social reputation and one's status as an HIV positive or negative person. “My sister lived with HIV for more than nine years and passed away recently [in April 2005]. Her death made me realise the extent of the despair that the virus is causing to millions of people both infected and affected." Having witnessed his sister's agony, Madikida describes the experience as "the annihilation from the sidelines". Status includes Madikida's video pieces Virus (2004), Nemesis (2005), lambda prints Virus I-V, and writings by Colin Richards. "The image Madikida produces is of an organism in which a slippery, bloody red dominates. It is near impossible to underestimate the power of blood in the context of the pandemic. Blood, which cleanses, blood which contaminates, blood which redeems, blood which damns. Blood is an extremely powerful material-actual and metaphoric. It is literally the stuff of life and death and almost everything in between," according to a press statement. The Johannesburg Art Gallery is situated on King George Street, Joubert Park and is open from10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday. Contact 011 725 3130 for more details. Permission to use web site material Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as: Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency (www.joburg.org.za)"; If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original article on this website; The name of the article's author is acknowledged; The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill in this brief online form). Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 Print this Page E-mail this article to a friend Help using Joburg.org.za