AA Bronson is a Canadian artist and member of General Idea, a collaboration with Felix Partz (1945-1994) and Jorge Zontal (1944-1994) that produced influential work between 1969 and 1994.
In 1987, General Idea created a painting that mimicked Robert Indiana’s famous 1966 painting, but replaced the word “LOVE” with “AIDS.” The “AIDS” logo was reproduced on a variety of mediums, including posters and billboards, and presented in public spaces in the United States and Europe. The project, Imagevirus, spread like a virus throughout urban environments and helped establish the AIDS crisis as a central component of General Idea’s work.
In 2021, UK-based CIRCA commissioned AA Bronson to produce VideoVirus, a three minute long video based on the historic Imagevirus posters from the 80s. The subsequent work was used on the CIRCA network to pause advertising on digital screens in London’s iconic Piccadilly Lights, Tokyo, Times Square, Milan, Melbourne, Los Angeles, and Seoul.
During Pride month 2022, the NAC featured AA Bronson + General Idea’s VideoVirus on the Kipnes Lantern to coincide with the National Gallery of Canada’s exhibit GENERAL IDEA.
The NAC is proud to feature AA Bronson + General Idea's VideoVirus on the Kipnes Lantern again on December 1, 2022 to mark World AIDS Day.
CREDITS
AA Bronson + General Idea / Animation by Motion Principles
CIRCA: Josef O’Connor, Rozi Rexhepi, Ruth Waters, Roisin McVeigh, Christina Anagnostou, Studio Temp
Special thanks to: Mark Jan Krayenhoff van de Leur, Maureen Paley, Mitchell Innes & Nash, Piccadilly Lights, Sholem Krishtalka, Terrence Higgins Trust, UN AIDS, Queercircle
Buy a signed limited edition AA Bronson + General Idea print of Great AIDS (Cadmium Red Light)
Print purchases support the #CIRCAECONOMY initiative – a circular model designed to support the CIRCA free public art programme around the world and create life-changing opportunities for the wider art & culture community.
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