CIRCA Presents VideoVirus by AA Bronson + General Idea
1-31st December
FORTY YEARS SINCE THE FIRST CASES OF AIDS, AA BRONSON + GENERAL IDEA’S ‘VIDEOVIRUS’ SPREADS A SYMBOL OF PROGRESS TOWARDS ZERO NEW HIV CASES
CIRCA, Piccadilly Circus, W1
1 – 31st December
Launching World AIDS Day, 1 Dec 2021, CIRCA presents VideoVirus, a powerful new film by AA Bronson and General Idea. Reimagining their historic Imagevirus for a global audience, the artwork comes to life in a hypnotic video animation that virally transmits their activist message across billboards in London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Milan, New York, Seoul & Tokyo.
Throughout December, CIRCA is proud to partner with UNAIDS and Terrence Higgins Trust to mark 40 years since the disease was first recorded in 1981. A new work by AA Bronson, the sole surviving member of the General Idea art group, draws inspiration from the viral intentions of Imagevirus, which in the mid-1980s spread consciousness of the epidemic by reappropriating Robert Indiana's famous LOVE logo, virally transmitting the AIDS symbol through cities in the form of paintings, sculptures, videos, posters, and exhibitions.
From Imagevirus’ original intention of rendering visible an ignored crisis, today’s VideoVirus colourfully heralds our progress toward the eradication of AIDS, with CIRCA’s global presentation amplifying the commitment by international health organisations to achieve zero new HIV transmissions by 2030.
Artist, healer and curator AA Bronson explains: "General Idea first developed the concept of viral images in the early 1970s. In the mid-80s that work became prophetically and tragically true, with the appearance of the HIV virus. In 1987 we exhibited our first AIDS painting and papered lower Manhattan with AIDS posters in the hope of making the image indeed viral. Thirty-five years later, and marking the 40th anniversary of AIDS first being recorded, I am honoured to join the CIRCA platform with this reimagined 'VideoVirus.' General Idea's VideoVirus replicates the spread of HIV to the four corners of the world; it expands General Idea's signature theme of ‘image as virus’ for a global audience."
General Idea, a collaboration between AA Bronson, Felix Partz and Jorge Zontal, began in Toronto in 1969. The group’s transgressive concepts and provocative imagery challenged social power structures and traditional modes of artistic creation in ever-shifting ways until Partz and Zontal’s untimely deaths from AIDS-related causes in 1994.
#CIRCAECONOMY PRINTS
This December, AA Bronson + General Idea have created two new #CIRCAECONOMY prints:
● Great AIDS (Cadmium Red Light) | Hand-signed limited edition of 21 screenprints, 40x40cm | £4,500 - CIRCA.ART
● AIDS (Cadmium Red Light) | Time-limited edition print. Available until midnight 31st
December 2021, A4 | £100 - CIRCA.ART
Available to purchase exclusively on the CIRCA.ART website, proceeds from both sales will support the #CIRCAECONOMY - a circular model that supports their free public art programme and creates life-changing opportunities for the art & culture community.
Mahesh Mahalingam, Director, Communications and Global Advocacy, UNAIDS, adds: “With nearly 1.5 million new HIV infections and 680,000 deaths each year, the AIDS epidemic is far from over. But it can be. AA Bronson’s art is a powerful reminder of sacrifices made by activists and people living with HIV and to learn from them to tackle not just HIV, but all pandemics. We are proud to partner with CIRCA in bringing attention to the AIDS pandemic at a time when we are fighting both COVID-19 and AIDS.”
Using culture as a catalyst to help minimise the risk of people getting HIV and reduce stigma, CIRCA will educate audiences online via a programme of talks and informative videos guest-curated by LGBTQ+ charity QUEERCIRCLE, championing voices of the past four decades and centred around themes of activism, health and culture.
Honouring this special collaboration with AA Bronson and General Idea, a #CIRCAECONOMY grant of £5,000 has been awarded to QUEERCIRCLE who will deliver an artist-led participatory residency with HIV positive women during their 2022 Winter season.
Josef O’Connor, Artistic Director, CIRCA, comments: “Four decades since AIDS was first recorded, CIRCA is honoured to collaborate with AA Bronson and dedicate its global, public platform to commemorating an epidemic that society once ignored. Although Felix and Jorge are no longer with us, their memory survives in this moving animation which wraps its arms around the world on this anniversary month, raising vital awareness and helping bring us all one step closer to achieving zero new HIV transmissions by 2030.”
SCHEDULE: CIRCA PRESENTS ‘VIDEOVIRUS’ 1-31 DECEMBER
20:21 GMT LONDON PICCADILLY LIGHTS @piccadillylights
20:21 KST SEOUL COEX K-POP SQUARE @cjpowercast_ad_official
20:21 ACT MELBOURNE FED SQUARE (13, 14, 26-30 Dec) @fed.square
20:21 UTC MILAN LUXOTTICA, PIAZZALE CADORNA @luxottica
20:21 PST LOS ANGELES PENDRY WEST HOLLYWOOD @pendrywesthollywood
20:21 EST NEW YORK LUXOTTICA, TIMES SQUARE @luxottica
21:30 JST TOKYO YUNIKA VISION @yunikavision
20:21 GMT BROADCAST DAILY ON THE CIRCA.ART WEBSITE @circa.art
For more information, please email:
press@circa.art
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