Böcker av Gideon Mendel

Intimate and poignant black and white photographs from the Broderip and Charles Bell wards at the Middlesex Hospital in 1993, the first dedicated HIV wards in London.>These two wards at The Middlesex Hospital were some of the few dedicated AIDS wards that existed in London, and even more unusual for their decision to open themselves to being photographed. Considering the high levels of stigma and fear that existed at the time, the decision of these four patients to allow themselves, alongside their families, lovers and friends to be photographed was an act of considerable bravery.During his time at the hospital, he photographed their treatment and many other aspects of ward life, including the intimate way in which the staff, patients and their families related to one another. Treatment was not a passive process, but rather an active engagement on the part of the patients, who were often extremely knowledgeable about their condition. The staff, too, became far more attached to their patients than was commonplace in hospitals at the time.All of the patients in these photographs died soon after the pictures were taken. They were the unlucky ones, who became sick just before treatment became available. 'The Ward' explores through Gideon Mendel's evocative black and white photographs how it felt to live with HIV at this time when it was considered a veritable death sentence. It shows how the ward at the Middlesex Hospital became more like a second home, and the staff and patients friends.

Gideon Mendel (editor) is a South African photographer who has responded to key social and environmental issues around the world, particularly the HIV/AIDS epidemic. He is the creator of Drowning World, an art and advocacy project in response to climate change. David Gere (editor) Ph.D., is director of the UCLA Art & Global Health Center, where he is professor of arts activism and organizer of projects under the MAKE ART/STOP AIDS banner.Richard Gere (foreword) is an actor and a dedicated humanitarian who works on behalf of Tibetan causes, the homeless, and people living with HIV and AIDS.Mary Bowman (poet) was a poet, singer, spoken word artist, and AIDS activist based in Washington, D.C. Born HIV-positive, she died in 2019 at the age of thirty.

Photographs of discarded items such as toothbrushes, playing cards, worn-out trainers, teargas canisters and children's dolls present an alternative portrait of residents of 'The Jungle' refugee camp in Calais, France.