Curators’ Statement

 

Metanoia is an archival examination of community-based responses to the ongoing AIDS crisis. The exhibition highlights the contributions of Black cis and trans women, and cis and trans women of color impacted by HIV, many of whom have had experiences within the criminal justice system.

Too often these stories are found only at the margins of art shows, history books, and documentaries — but for us, the four curators of this show, their lives, records, and stories are central.

While Metanoia is not a comprehensive history, we hope the powerful stories that have emerged from the LGBT Center National History Archive's holdings as well as those of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries serve as an inspiration to learn more, and initiate others’ transformations.

The show’s title word “metanoia” is of Greek origin and expresses the possibility of change through transformation. We understand  HIV/AIDS as a powerful agent of metanoia through community, activism, words, sex, care, and the materials that document these human efforts.

 

Through curating this exhibition we have experienced metanoia for ourselves: 

 

archiving

“Curating Metanoia has caused me to think of the personal archive and the history I am making through my own body and mind. My tendency is to dissociate from my achievements and manifestations, something very easy to do in a society that devalues Black life. Metanoia gives me permission to map and archive my life.” — Katherine Cheairs

listening

There are as many ways to tell the story of AIDS as there are people living with and impacted by the virus. Metanoia is what happens when you, we, me stop trying to construct a narrative, and instead listen. I have been humbled by the experience. —Theodore (ted) Kerr

collaborating

Metanoia has confirmed my long held belief in the power of collaboration as a method for transformation. Just as we sought to find the power of Black women’s experience in the AIDS archive, our collaboration forefronted the knowledge and creativity of our Black collaborators while honoring what each of our members could add to our growing collection of materials, knowledge, and connection. —Alexandra Juhasz

transforming

Metanoia is the first word that I’ve learned that articulates fully the transformative nature of  movement work. AIDS required a movement to address the issue, and still does, and the archives substantiate that something as devastating as AIDS, racism, sexism, and imprisonment are catalysts for movements to build a new world. — Jawanza Williams

The exhibition features posters, newsletters, pamphlets, and other activist ephemera from the The LGBT Center National History Archive's holdings as well as those of the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries. It also includes a documentary photographic series by Lolita Lens Photography of five women in New York City currently working on issues related to HIV & AIDS and a more recent photo documentary series by Black Queen Photography highlighting four Los Angeles-based HIV/AIDS activists.

 

This exhibition is organized by One Institute and The Center. In New York (Winter 2019), it was curated by Katherine Cheairs, Alexandra Juhasz, Theodore (ted) Kerr, and Jawanza Williams for What Would an HIV Doula Do? (WWHIVDD), a collective comprised of artists, filmmakers, writers, and activists committed to ensuring that community plays a key role in the current AIDS response. The Los Angeles exhibition (Winter 2020) was curated by Katherine Cheairs, Alexandra Juhasz, and Theodore (ted) Kerr.

This digital exhibition is created by One Institute with curatorial guidance from Katherine Cheairs, creative direction from Umi Hsu, and design and production support from Saphir Davis.