Condom Art

Programme Summary:

Adriana Bertini, an artist living in São Paulo, Brazil, transforms expired or defective condoms into raw material to be used to make pieces of art. These frames, sculptures, and brightly coloured women's dresses are intended to raise awareness and inspire reflection about condom use. On another level, Bertini hopes that, by using the very material at the centre of effort to prevent HIV/AIDS to create something new, she can inspire reflection, foster discussion, and challenge taboos.

Communication Strategies:

Bertini works with the latex from condoms that have failed quality control testing or that have expired, dying and handling the material in different ways to make "functional" art that is designed to reach people in a very direct way. The approach is as follows: the person who wears a bikini top made out of condoms or seats his or her houseguest on a giant heart-shaped cushion/seat with a top covering made from condoms may inspire dialogue and raise awareness. The questions that underlie Bertini's pieces are: what is HIV/AIDS prevention in first place? How can we create more effective safe sex campaigns?

One of Bertini's strategies involves using condom art to personalise the face of AIDS. Drawing on techniques of manual weaving, she uses condoms to form a desired image - in this case, faces of people who died of AIDS as well as those who have made a difference and communicated a strong message, such as Nelson Mandela, Bono Vox, and various Brazilian activists. This series is called "Still Without a Name".

This excerpt from Adriana Bertini's website describes her strategy: "She transforms into art and awareness the material that would be destined to incineration (that pollutes the environment due to the high levels of sulfur) or common litter because the material is not bio degrading. Creatively preserving man's individuality, her work has the objective of wide spreading the use of the condom in the manner of art, creating a new form of thinking in the people in order that they become aware of the reality in situations of risk in the face of HIV. How can we alert people against the danger of pleasure without advocating self-denial, which we know is impossible? Adriana Bertini utilizes painting techniques, collage, sculpturing and dying to give life to her pieces."

To view a gallery of Bertini's work, visit her photostream.

Development Issues:

Safe Sex, HIV/AIDS.

Key Points:

Bertini displayed her work at the AIDS 2002 Conference in Barcelona. However, she explains that, though she has shown her work at schools, universities, and companies, she has met some resistance to condom art in Brazil. She asks that organisations wishing to exhibit her art contact her at the address below.

Contact Info:

Adriana Bertini

Source:

Emails from Adriana Bertini to The Communication Initiative on September 2 2003 and September 15 2005; and Adriana Bertini website.

Teaser:

Condom Art for Change

Teaser Image:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1358/803641188_38720dd29f_m.jpg