Last week, amfAR opened its New York offices to donors and art enthusiasts alike, to celebrate exhibition of “Guests and Foreigners’,” a series by artist Joseph Kosuth. The exhibition is presented as a network of texts and archival photographs—all related to amfAR’s mission of eradicating HIV/AIDS through innovative research. A running visual commentary displayed throughout the hallways, lobby, and boardroom of the Foundations’ New York offices. The intricate installation took five studio assistants six weeks to complete, working five days a week.
The installation serves as a visual and narrative history of the AIDS epidemic, with texts and photographs organized for the viewer along a timeline that highlights the programmatic achievements, as well as key events and personalities that have shaped the fight against AIDS. The piece was created and first installed in 1999/2000 and was updated and expanded this year, after renovations to the office called for the work to be deinstalled.
Sam Hall Photography
Throughout the evening the offices were filled with a blend of foundation, individual and corporate donors, along with representatives from HBO, and Johnson & Johnson. On the success of the event, Eric Muscatell, VP of Development said “…gathering the donors in a more intimate setting, allowing them to see the offices and meet with our founders face-to-face shows them where the money goes, in some ways, more effectively than inviting them to dance in a ballroom.”
