The exhibition 'Sweet Revenge' remembers Félix González-Torres and other creators who fought the epidemic in the 80s.
The exhibition 'Sweet Revenge', open at the National Museum Centre of Art Reina Sofía, commemorates Félix González-Torres and other artists who fought against AIDS during the most challenging times, as reported by elcorreo.com. The show evokes the health crisis that struck New York in the early eighties, when the disease spread among the gay community and also among visual artists.
González-Torres, an American of Cuban descent, did not resort to obvious activism but instead used a subtle and metaphorical language. In one of his actions, he placed twenty billboards around the Big Apple featuring an image of a bed with rumpled sheets, a reference to his homoerotic relationship during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. The death of his partner, Ross Laycock, inspired 'Untitled (Ross in Los Angeles)', a composition of candies weighing the same as the deceased that visitors could take, thus sharing in the mourning.
The exhibition also remembers Pepe Espaliú, a local figure in the fight against AIDS, with performances such as 'Carrying', in which volunteers carried his body through the city. Other Spanish artists who died from the same cause include Carlos Alcolea, designer Manuel Piña, and Enrique Naya, of the Costus.
Film also reflected the tragedy with movies like 'Philadelphia' and 'The Normal Heart', and the deaths of figures such as Rock Hudson, Derek Jarman, and Brad Davis. Artists like Robert Mapplethorpe, David Wojnarowicz, and Keith Haring made their HIV-positive status visible and created support foundations.
Activism received a boost in 1987 with the creation of Act Up, whose slogan was “Silence=Death”. Today, initiatives like Positive Art keep the commitment alive. The title 'Sweet Revenge' alludes to Madrid, where González-Torres was taken in by an orphanage after his adoption failed; his return to Spain in 1991 marked a certain revenge against the city.
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