FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2006
Images are available electronically
In Brazilian artist Adriana Bertini's Dress Up Against AIDS, the condom, currently the only method that protects those who are sexually active from contracting HIV, has been dyed and threaded together to make a fashionable collection of attire from dresses to evening gowns. This exhibition invites the audience to see condoms in new ways; the colorful latex gowns are a playful array of couture designs as well as prêt-a-porter, but, more importantly, Dress Up Against AIDS, attacks a serious global issue with humor and aplomb. Bertini's dresses break the social taboo about condoms as an object of "promiscuity" and ask the viewer to enter into a dialogue about the true importance and nature of the condom in relation to HIV&AIDS prevention. Bertini is a well-known artist who has dedicated her work to AIDS prevention through the arts.
Dress Up Against AIDS is one of a number of exhibitions and programs that Columbia College presents as part of Critical Encounters, an ongoing series of yearlong college wide examinations of important social issues, specifically HIV&AIDS, that focus and challenge the thinking of all members of the college community. Visit www.colum.edu/criticalencounters for more information.
WHEN: November 16, 2006 - January 5, 2007
Opening Reception with artist: November 16, 5 - 7 pm
World
AIDS Day
Reception: Friday, December 1, 4:30 - 6pm
WHERE: Columbia College Chicago's
Glass Curtain Gallery
1104 S. Wabash Avenue
COST: Free and open to the public
INFO: Media Inquiries/image requests/interviews:
Elizabeth Burke-Dain 312.344.8695