Dress Up Against AIDS

Dress Up Against AIDS: Condom Couture by Adriana Bertini, on view December 1, 2006–March 11, 2007, featured 14 magnificent garments designed and produced by Brazilian artist Adriana Bertini and made entirely of condoms rejected by industry quality tests. By appropriating an object of protection and using it to create works of vibrant and original style, color, and texture, Bertini seeks to raise awareness and inspire the use of condoms, the critical tool for preventing AIDS transmission. Her colorful, sensual clothes—including ornate evening dresses, vivid skirts and tops, and elegant suits—demystify and destigmatize condoms, “refashioning” them as objects associated with pleasure.

This presentation was part of MAKE ART/STOP AIDS, an arts and AIDS awareness and prevention initiative developed by the Art & Global Health Center at UCLA in partnership with the Fowler Museum, UCLA AIDS Institute, Artists for a New South Africa, UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures, James S. Coleman Center for African Studies, and School of Film, Theater and Television, Durban Art Gallery, Magic Johnson Foundation, and Los Angeles Unified School District.

The exhibition and accompanying public programs were made possible with support from UCLA’s Center for Community Partnerships and Office of Instructional Development, University of California Institute for Research in the Arts, and Gere Foundation. Additional support provided by the Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles and Hotel Angeleno.