“The Body as An Archive” Launch

In September 2023 we will host a public program at The Whitney Museum of American Art to celebrate the launch of this online platform and publicize the Oral History project. The program will feature edited highlights from a number of oral histories as well as a discussion facilitated by project lead and HIV-positive poet Cea (Constantine Jones). In conversation with Cea will be two long-term surviving participating artists, Shirlene Cooper and Marguerite Van Cook, as well as artist/archivist/educator Shane Aslan Seltzer and artist/educator Katherine Cheairs, who worked with Cea to conceptualize the project’s framework. “The Body As An Archive” has been intentional about its intergenerational focus from its inception, and this public conversation will further highlight the importance of connecting HIV/AIDS narratives across generations.