Programming

Sunday, December 1, 1991 will mark the third anniversary of A Day Without Art. To mark this occasion, Galerie DARE-DARE will close its doors to the public.

Too many lives were lost to AIDS before people began to respond and take a stand. A Day Without Art is our way of affirming that AIDS concerns us all. In grief, every loss is shared.

This international day of mourning and remembrance for those who have died of AIDS coincides with World AIDS Day, established by the World Health Organization. The idea for A Day Without Art was launched in 1989 by Visual AIDS, a volunteer network of American arts professionals wishing to honour the lives and achievements of colleagues and friends who had died. The initiative was intended not only to commemorate, collectively, those who had died of AIDS—both within and beyond the arts community—but also to underscore the seriousness of the epidemic and the urgent need to stop its spread.

Originally conceived as a one-day moratorium on visual arts activities, the concept has since evolved into an open and flexible initiative. Its purpose is simply to encourage cultural organizations—including galleries, museums, art schools, and the media—to undertake public activities that raise awareness about AIDS.

The emphasis is on education, on the work carried out by local AIDS support organizations, and on the efforts of associations of people living with AIDS. Although fundraising and political lobbying are not officially part of A Day Without Art, some groups organize special events to raise funds.

As early as 1989, more than 700 Canadian and American organizations took part in A Day Without Art, each choosing its own way of marking the occasion. The result was an extraordinary diversity of events.

Some galleries kept their lights off; others removed the works on display or covered them with fabric, while still others collaborated with organizations supporting people living with AIDS. In many cities, lectures, film screenings, and exhibitions addressing AIDS were organized.

Montreal's visual arts community wishes to express its solidarity with people living with AIDS, with those working to raise public awareness, and with the researchers striving to combat the devastating effects of the disease.