One way that artists responded to the AIDS epidemic was through public demonstrations and protests. One particular protest, Seize Control of the FDA, was organized by ACT UP to put national pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to develop experimental treatments for HIV. On October 11, 1988, the members of ACT UP surrounded the FDA headquarters, some wearing bloodied lab coats, others outlining bodies in chalk, and a couple groups performing a die-in. The people performing a die-in laid down on the sidewalk, holding cardboard tombstones over their heads. The tombstones had various phrases written in all caps explaining the cause of their death. Each tombstone was different, but they generally stated the cause of death being because of the FDA’s negligence, the placebo treatments, or because they were failed by the system. Though the bodies were surrounded by police demanding that they move, the protesters did not leave their spots. The demonstrators drowned out the shouts of the officers by chatting rhythmically \u201cACT UP. WE\u2019LL NEVER BE SILENT AGAIN\u201d. This demonstration aimed to affect those present at the FDA, but also leave an impact through the media. The protest intended to display their message that the FDA was directly responsible for the deaths of those with aids. ACT UP knew that their signs and choreography must be simple and allow anyone to understand their mission through a simple picture. It was apparent to anyone who saw a picture or video of these people acting as corpses that the government was killing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The demonstration was very successful. The media was drawn in by the theatrics of the protest and displayed ACT UP\u2019s message to the nation. FDA was pressured both by the demonstrations of ACT UP and the attention from the media, and within months, it shifted its position. More drug testing was underway and a new antiviral AIDS drug became available. These artists used their bodies to make social change. By positioning themselves in front of the FDA and imitating dead bodies they spoke a message that anyone can understand. They used their bodies as art and together were able to make a change that would save lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The use of “die-ins” in protests is still happening today. On April 19, 2025, a group gathered outside Arkansas\u2019 capital to protest the Trump administration. Similar to the ACT UP die-in, people laid on the ground with cardboard tombstones simulating corpses. These tombstones stated various policies the administration has enacted. This movement demonstrates how these policies are both killing people and destroying the very foundation of the United States. This kind of movement evokes emotion in the viewer. It is a powerful way to demonstrate how these policies will destroy vulnerable people. Die-ins use bodies to draw attention to the deathly consequences of people staying silent. They force the viewer to consider: how many dead bodies will it take for change to be enacted?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bibliography<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gere, David. \u201cBlood and Sweat.\u201d How to Make Dances in an Epidemic, University of Wisconsin Press, 2004, pp. 39\u201389.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ringo , Brandon. \u201cHundreds Gather Outside Arkansas State Capitol for \u2018die-in\u2019 …\u201d Hundreds Gather Outside Arkansas State Capitol for \u2018Die-in\u2019 Protest<\/em>, www.kark.com\/news\/local-news\/hundreds-gather-outside-arkansas-state-capitol-for-die-in-protest\/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One way that artists responded to the AIDS epidemic was through public demonstrations and protests. One particular protest, Seize Control of the FDA, was organized by ACT UP to put national pressure on the Food and Drug Administration to develop experimental treatments for HIV. On October 11, 1988, the members of ACT UP surrounded the… Continue reading Bondage, Incarceration, Obliteration<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-228","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/228\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":304,"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/228\/revisions\/304"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juliaholt.dcreate.domains\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}