Illuminations
The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
Curated by José Carlos Diaz

This site-specific installation—presented on World AIDS Day, 2019—addresses the FDA’s discriminatory blood donation policy, HIV stigma and the value of human life. Blood donated from the LGBTQ+ community, preserved in resin and imaged panels, are placed on analog overhead projectors and illuminate the museum and Warhol’s Skull, Cologne Cathedral prints, and Raphael Madonna-$6.99. The installation is anchored by Vinci (Illuminations) and abstract panels from the Blood Mirror project. This work advocates for change to the FDA's blood ban, a policy that was instituted in 1983 in response to the AIDS crisis. The discriminatory policy continues to perpetuate HIV stigma and prevent LGBTQ+ individuals from contributing to their communities to help save lives.