If someone showed you a picture of a white woman in her mid-60s, who was a little plump, would you guess her to be HIV positive? Most Minnesotan's would answer, no, she's a grandma.
But in this case, the woman is both a grandmother and HIV+.
But you certainly can't tell by looking at the picture, which is exactly the point of a photography exhibit premiering Friday night, World AIDS Day, at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis.
?We are really hoping people will really come in and engage with these photos and engage with the question, is that person HIV positive or are they not?? said Andy Ansell with the Minnesota AIDS project.
St. Paul photographer Justin Thai took 50 photographs of 50 average Minnesotans.
Half of those photographed are of people who are HIV positive, half are of people who are not.
The idea is that no one can say by looking at a photograph that one person or another is what HIV looks like, because HIV looks like all of us.
?What we are trying to show people is that HIV sees no gender, no ethnicity, no socioeconomic background, it impacts everyone,? Ansell said.
Here in Minnesota 5,300 people are living with HIV today. Andy Ansell is one of them.
?I?m moved, this exhibit moves me,? Ansell said.
His hope is that people really look at these pictures and then guess which person is living with HIV. Prove to yourself that you cannot see HIV in a picture.
The point is to try and make an assumption from a photograph and then have the discussion about the epidemic that remains among all of us.
?HIV is still here in this community and it is still something that we need to talk about and something we need to bring awareness to.?
By Jana Shortal, KARE 11 News
