How do you represent the worst disease of our time through art? That's the central question in a 'first-of-its-kind exhibition' in New York looking at the AIDS epidemic. Expressing rage and anguish, but also hope, the exhibition aims to raise awareness of a disease that's greatly changed but still very prevalent in today's society.

A teddy bear in a coffin to represent the youngest victims. A sign to express the activism that grew out of the epidemic. Artists documenting their own deaths.
This is the 35 year history of AIDS, told through more than 125 works of art. Willie Cole made 'How Do You Spell America' in the early 90s, during the height of the epidemic. It's a report of the events from that time spelled out on a blackboard.

"During those days, I lost two very close friends through AIDS, in fact two friends who changed my life as an artist," said Willie Cole.

So often in this exhibition there's a sense of dual meanings: of life and death, of loss but also survival.

"Still here' meaning I'm still here, I survived. But also still here in the sense the virus is still here."

The curator at the Bronx Museum of Arts wanted to hold the exhibition here in an area and city where so many artists were impacted by the disease.

"Some of them, their own work, their own practice was deeply affected. All of sudden they're documenting their loss of weight, the impact of the disease in their own body," said Sergio Bessa, curator of Bronx Museum of Arts.

Over the years drugs have improved, life expectancies increased. But some things still remain.

One of the ideas dealt with by the exhibition is that of stigma. Although people's preconceptions of the disease have greatly changed since it was first discovered, much of the artwork here makes it clear that is was, and still is a very real problem.

That's why Cole feels this exhibition is necessary.

"A lot of young people lose track of the history, of the things that lead up to this point. So I think it's important to know what got us to this point. Not so much to live in the last, but to be able to stand on the past and still stand upright and that requires knowledge," said Willie Cole.

The 'Art AIDS America' exhibition is also accompanied by a nearly 300-page catalog that features essays by 15 contributors with more than 200 illustrations. The exhibit runs until the end of October.