PAINT (RED) SAVE LIVES is the first global street art campaign created to drive urgency and action in the fight to end AIDS.
Shepard Fairey said; “I’m always inspired by organizations that aim to minimize suffering and cater to those who need help the most, rather than the affluent or powerful. I don’t believe compassion should have borders. I also admire the model of encouraging businesses to give back and do good things for the world. That philosophy is reflected in my own art and business practice. In my artworks for (RED), I used symbols that I hope apply universally and appeal to the best side of people’s nature. I never want anyone to die prematurely or fail to receive the treatments that can help them. AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis are all huge problems, so I’m happy to be a small part of what needs to be a huge effort to treat them.”
A group of the world’s leading street artists will create (RED)-inspired artwork to engage people and encourage political leaders to fully fund the AIDS fight, ahead of The Global Fund’s Sixth Replenishment Conference, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron on October 10th in Lyon.
Key sites in London, New York, Washington D.C., Berlin and Paris will be transformed by artists during September and early October 2019, culminating in Lyon as the world’s leaders gather to pledge funding to the Global Fund for the next three years. A successful replenishment will help save 16 million lives and cut the mortality rate from HIV, TB and malaria in half.
Bono, co-founder, (RED), said; “Street artists have been raising the alarm in the fight against AIDS since HIV appeared — from the streets of New York in the 1980s, and now in the next weeks in cities around the world with Paint (RED) Save Lives. There has been a lot of progress, more than many experts predicted, but not enough yet to put the sirens to rest. Young women continue to bear the brunt of this disease and maddeningly, every week 6,000 of them are needlessly infected. I’d call that an emergency. (RED) is the color of emergency.”
In addition to physical street art, (RED) has collaborated with a number of artists to create custom augmented reality Snapchat Lenses, bringing new art into the digital space and allowing Snapchat users to show and share their support for the fight. Users of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter can also share their use of the Snapchat Lenses.
Artist statement:
Shepard Fairey – ‘We Shape the Future Rose Shackle’
Hackney, London & Snapchat AR Lens
“The We Shape the Future Rose Shackle symbolizes our ability to overcome difficult circumstances by using creativity, compassion, and whenever possible collaboration. We all understand our own pain and can hopefully understand and empathize with pain in others, so the challenge is to not let pain diminish your compassion but use it as fuel to push for better solutions for all of humanity.”
Curated by Museum of the Street and its founder, Scott Lawin, with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and MSD, (known as Merck in the U.S. and Canada), the campaign will build in the month leading up to the critical Global Fund Replenishment Conference. Attended by political leaders from around the world, the conference will see countries pledge financing for the fight against AIDS, as well as Tuberculosis and Malaria, over the coming three years.
An auction of pieces donated by many of the campaign artists, plus other leading street artists, will be available for preview on Artsy on October 9th, with the bidding opening on October 14th. Fifty percent of all sale proceeds will go to the Global Fund.
“Street art is the original social media. Public artwork transforms the urban environment and serves as a visual communication platform that connects people to ideas and movements. The PAINT (RED) SAVE LIVES campaign brings amazing artists from around the world together to create powerful new works linked through the common visual language of the color red to captivate viewers and engage them in social change and support for the fight to end AIDS. I’m thrilled that Museum of the Street could help bring the PAINT (RED) SAVE LIVES campaign to life, and I hope these works will inspire other artists and activists across the globe to get involved in improving their communities and creating art with a positive message and impact.” said Scott Lawin.
Jennifer Lotito, Chief Operating Officer, (RED), said; “PAINT (RED) SAVE LIVES has been made possible thanks to the creativity, culture and generosity of the street art community. As world leaders and the private sector prepare to pledge financing for the Global Fund to fight AIDS next month in France, (RED) is making it easy for people to get involved keep focus on the urgency of this fight – whether it’s visiting a mural in your city or using an AR lens to bring the art right into your living room. AIDS is still a crisis, but it doesn’t have to be.”
To learn more about PAINT (RED) SAVE LIVES, access lenses and join the campaign, visit RED.org or follow @RED.
Special thanks go to Scott Lawin and Museum of the Street, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MSD (known as Merck in the U.S. and Canada), The ONE Campaign, Anne-Laure Lemaitre, Zane Meyer and Chop Em Down Films, Louisa St. Pierre and Bernstein & Andriulli, Pierrick Sergerie & Festival Peinture Fraîche, Yasha Young Projects, Vox Media, The Union Market District in Washington D.C, Hudson River Park Trust, Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon, The city of Paris, The City of Lyon, The Metropolis of Lyon, Hospital of Lyon Croix-Rousse, Paris City Hall, Mark Clack, Wood Street Walls, Jack Arts, Benjamin Moore, Captivate, Clear Channel, DentSu France, GSTV, Integration Media and JC Decaux.
