Five artists have been shortlisted to work on the country’s first HIV/AIDS memorial near the site of a central London hospital which played a leading part in the struggle against the disease.
Charity Aids Memory UK (AMUK), which is behind plans for the memorial in Fitzrovia, was set up to raise awareness of the continuing impact of HIV and AIDS in Britain and the world.
Among the shortlisted artists are Anya Gallaccio, who often uses plants in her installations which rot and decay transforming the work over time, and Ryan Gander whose work covers sculpture to painting and performance art.
The shortlist is made up by Harold Offah, Shahpour Pouyan and Diana Puntar with the winning artist selected by a panel of judges and announced in summer.
AMUK founder Ash Kotak said: “It has been a long journey to get to this point of delivering the first permanent AIDS Memorial in London. It is incredibly exciting. This group of acclaimed and very inspiring artists, with their diverse practices, each bring a different perspective to the Memorial. I look forward to seeing what the Affected Communities Advisory Board and our esteemed panel of judges makes of them.”
The memorial will be near the former Middlesex Hospital where the UK’s first dedicated AIDS unit was opened by Princess Diana in April 1987 and where she was famously pictured shaking hands with a patient, challenging the belief HIV or AIDS could be transmitted by touch.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: “I’m delighted to see another important step being taken towards creating this important memorial to commemorate those affected by HIV/AIDS. I’m proud that London is leading the way in tackling HIV globally and we are doing all we can to address the stigma related to the virus.
“This permanent memorial will ensure we remember those affected and honour the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS and tackle the discrimination around it, as we build a healthier and fairer London for everyone.”
