Series: Humanism in China, Work No. 493
Location: Kunming
Medium: Digital giclee print
Edition: 1/10
Signature: Signed by the artist
AIDS Counseling was photographed in Kunming in February 2003. That year, UNICEF was preparing a special report on the issue of AIDS, and Bao Kun was invited to undertake the photographic work. At the time, China was experiencing a peak in the AIDS crisis, with Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan among the most seriously affected regions. The image captures a moment in which prevention workers are providing patients with relevant counseling and information. The work records the complex and heavy human reality shaped by a major public health issue.
Bao Kun is a photographer, curator, and critic of photographic culture. He formerly served as editor-in-chief of the photography program Instant World at CCTV, and was a specially appointed professor at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts.