Our projects.

The mission of art4art is social engagement through visual arts. We want to use the visual arts as a platform for engaging in a range social issues. For example, many of the challenges in addressing the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS are linked to underlying problems of stigmatisation, discrimination, empowerment, issues of gender equality and so on. All these challenges have a direct relationship with AIDS and (the acceptance) of AntiRetroviral Treatment.

Anti Retroviral Man Cartoon.

Imagine growing up with someone who would be there for you all of the time. Imagine a superhero who saves not only the day, but you as well…

That’s the feeling that art4art wants children to feel when they watch the Antiretroviral man cartoons.

Zambian children need a superhero in the face of HIV. They need someone to educate them as well as inspire them to be better.

The main theme of the cartoon is patience in the face of HIV as well as to teach children to be tolerant with each other. Don’t stigmatise and each one should teach one.

And remember be positive when positive!!!!!!!!!!

The Bus.

The art4art Stigma show, 2009: One of our artists has created an interactive application for the bus and the multiple concurrent sexual partnership principle.

Take for example the bus driver, as you can see he is red, which means he is HIV positive. He has a wife and also has two girlfriends. The boyfriend of one of his girlfriends is seated on the second row of the bus. So even though they have never met before they are sexually related. This is an example of a sexual network and the role that multiple concurrent partnerships play in the spread of HIV/ AIDs.

Stigma Exhibition, 2010.

It was agreed that STIGMA was contributing to the continued spread of HIV and the reluctance of a lot of individuals to get on antiretroviral treatment. Once this was realized Art4art decided to organize an exhibition dealing with the issues surrounding Stigma in regard to HIV/AIDS. The Idea of the exhibition was to inform public on the latest developments in the field of HIV/AIDS and deconstruction of HIV related stigma.

We went ahead and organized what we called Focus group discussions. The groups consisted of 20 or more carefully selected people (one group of HIV positive people on ART, one street children and one group of former sex workers). We included artists in the focus group sessions. In these groups we discussed what was understood stigma to be and we tied to find the drivers behind stigma in Zambia.

Our goal was to give the opportunity to the artists to hear how people are experiencing stigma so as to get an in depth understanding of the workings of stigma. The artists would then have the possibility to transform this information into art.

With the information gathered from the focus groups the artists created art works that were exhibited on the week following the World Aids day celebration at the Alliance.

Animalfwafwa.

Project with Barefeet to develop animals after the climate change disaster.

Animals that are half-fantasy half-existing develop due to the change of the environment called animalfwafwa.

Uzual Suspect & Jill.

The Uzual Suspect & Jill have been around Lusaka for a while now. We use them to inform young people about things that are difficult discuss. If you look into their eyes you can see what is on their mindz…

It is difficult to talk about HIV/AIDs because it has to do with the birds and the bees i.e. SEX. HIV/AIDs is primarily transmitted through sexual intercourse.

Today, as always, the Uzual Suspect & Jill have the birds and the bees on their mindz.