Opening

Vernissage: BARBIE und KEN sind HIV-positiv

On the venue's site

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In 1996, the Viennese sculptor Franz Wassermann drew attention to the everyday reality of people living with HIV with his art project "BARBIE und KEN sind HIV-positiv". 2100 everyday objects, wrapped in plastic film and marked with a green dot, appeared at public locations in 6 Austrian cities. The action confronted passers-by with their own reservations and social prejudices. In the following years, the project was continued in Munich, Burghausen and London.

30 years later, Qwien is showing the objects for the first time in a museum-style display. Photographs and documents from the project archive provide insight into the origins of the action. A recorded conversation with the artist opens a retrospective from today's perspective.