CHUMPON APISUK
NONTABURI, THAILAND

ALIVE Project, 1995-96

Synopsis

During my 4 years experience with people living with HIV/AIDS (PWHA), through my work with Naam-Chewit Project, I have been associating and relating more to life than death.

Death is coming from outside, it is in the government bill boards on street sides, it's in TV and radio propaganda on AIDS, etc.

Many PWHA, I've met, have not yet died. They are well and very much alive. Some of PWHA died, but so did many people without HIV died as well. All people eventually die, at the end of life.

By condemnation people die from society, while they are still alive. With AIDS most people have died of condemnation, not from life. So we are fighting this condemnation, by'voice lives'and we encourage the promotion of life, not death.

lt is important to disclose life" with HIV/AIDS - a channel to speak out. I have an intention to confront the viewers with real voice of people and images of those who are alive.

To confront life `s refreshing. lt has made me realize that death is not confrontation to life. So - I live. We all live ... our own lives.

Life is living.

Life is positive.

Life is sharing with other lives.

 

CHUMPON APISUK
NONTABURI, THAILAND

Artist's Statement

'Alive' Project, was able to realise, its first tried out, in June 1995. Though my proposal to work on AIDS has always been challenging my carreer as an artist and to my profession as an AIDS activist, since 1987.

May I re-collect my early days of getting involve with AIDS. It began in 1987, when I was asked to produce a small folder - a hand out folder about AIDS. Most information and images then were so fearful and very stigmatized, they'd make you feel sinful or guilty, as if you're coming closer to the day of judgement.

It took many months to finish the 8" X 1 1 folder and I was very happy that I did not have to use any pictures available then but created my own funny cartoon drawing instead. I could not explain why I did not believe that AIDS was ugly then, and eventhough now, that I may have found many reasons to give to myself that why I do not believe that AIDS is ugly.

Unfortunately all of those reasons I pronounce are neither about ugliness or beauty of AIDS. It was like I have modified my artistic program-chips or I have damaged that part of my skull and the surgeons has implanted an antidotes into my brain.

I would not like people say or see me as ugly as they thought they have seen. I want to be recognisible, I want to be a person as I have been ... to other people.

I do not want my AIDS work to change the way people are, but rather emphasis oneself and exploring the world of oneself. AIDS should make people become very much the same human being, and recognize oneself our own existence, with relationship with others and respect of lives.

AIDS has no place outside our society and our existence. I believe that AIDS is curable, the incurable is our own fear - insecure of - the way we live together ... in our society. AIDS is not contagious but fragile being, it is within our fragile relationship, our love, our tenderly touch and lust ... We are contagious...

At my AIDS work, I send information to 3-4,thousands PWHA every month, and I am in touch with 4-5 PWHA a day, in Telephone line. Almost all PWHA that I've known and be friend with for the past 4 years, I've never met them in person, but we relate to each other through telecommunication system. I imagine how these friends of mine look, I imagine their facial expression, I imagine their dress, colours of their dress, style and many told me they've done the same to me.

Here I bring my friends'existence to you, they are living with HIV/AIDS, they are well and they are people. I also would like to know how do you feel.