A sliced strawberry set against a pink background asking, “Do you want to taste? Protect yourself,” a banana with a condom cover stating, “Better this way,” and a drawing of a miniature man and woman with scuba gear surfacing from a man’s underwear with the caption, “Dive covered.” These are some interpretations of what HIV prevention means to students at a Geneva-based professional arts high school.

In the lead-up to this year’s World AIDS Day, UNAIDS joined together with the Centre de Formation Professionnelle Arts (CFP Arts) school to create an art exhibition around the theme of HIV prevention.

Students from the graphic and interactive video departments of the school participated in the project by producing artistic expressions, in the form of posters and videos, around HIV prevention and what it means or how it affects them. This collaboration also helped the students to understand what HIV prevention is and sparked a conversation with a key age group.

The inauguration of the art exhibition took place in the UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, as part of a World AIDS Day commemoration event. Mariangela Simao, Director of Rights, Gender, Prevention and Community Mobilization at UNAIDS, stressed how important it was to have so many young people present, emphasizing the need to reach out to the next generation.

“This is a day when we come together to remember the many lives lost. It is also a day to celebrate our successes and how far we have come,” she said. “HIV is preventable! We must break the cycle of infection, so we count on you,” added Ms Simao, looking at the students.

The school’s visual arts dean, Judith Behar, explained how CFP Arts enjoyed assigning students projects that serve a purpose beyond the school walls.

“Our students took on the HIV prevention theme with real passion and personal investment because, as they learned, AIDS does concern them.” 

The posters and videos will be on display in the UNAIDS building until 18 January 2016.

Poster winners

1st prize to Magali Mühlig for thinking outside the box and sending such a positive message in Héropositive.

2nd prize to Joana Ruiz for encouraging behaviour change with a clear message—one always carries a mobile phone, why not a condom? 

3rd prize to Capucine Fernez for the artistic beauty of her drawing, a protected woman or a woman who is well informed, depending on your interpretation.

Felicitations du jury honorary prizes

The uplifting and simplicity of the message by Laura Chappuis.

Sock wearing humour by Loraine Friedli.

The simple, but powerful, message, “Who is Sida?”, by Esaia Girardet.

The tattoo HIV messaging with the caption, “It lasts forever”, by Julie Bertschmann.

Video winners

1st prize to Derek Amez-Droz for his humorous video that is a throwback to the 1980s sexual education videos played in school.

2nd prize to Daniel Chavaz for a lovely drawn animation with a condom as a cape.  

3rd prize to Immanuel Nour for the simple and museum-like video.  

Felicitations du jury honorary prizes

Jamy Herrmann and Benaiah Finkel for their classical music romantic video encouraging condom use.

Hanaa Joowalay edited a beautiful video that is very artistic.

The fun-loving animation done by Melvyn Frash and Oliver Fehlmann.