DKNY JEANS & 401 PROJECTSPRESENT BLOODLINE BY KRISTEN ASHBURNHOSTED BY IMAN, LENNY KRAVITZ AND ZOE KRAVITZ
World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006 – NEW YORK, NY: DKNY JEANS & 401 PROJECTS will host a private viewing of Bloodline, an exhibition of photographs by Kristen Ashburn that provide an intimate look at the harsh reality of the AIDS pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. A silent auction of photographs taken by some of the world’s top photographers, curated by Elisabeth Biondi, Visuals Editor of the New Yorker, will raise funds for people living with HIV/AIDS. Proceeds from the auction and accompanying exhibition catalog will be donated to Keep a Child Alive and Mashambanzou Care Trust, organizations working to combat the disease in Africa. Iman, Global Ambassador of Keep A Child Alive, hosts the event along with Lenny Kravitz and Zoë Kravitz who have teamed up with Iman in support of her I Am African campaign. “Keep A Child Alive is very important to me. It’s the end result of everything I have done thus far. KCA is hands on, direct and gives 100% of the public donation to the cause. I am honored to be involved with this exhibition because we all need our eyes opened to what is going on in my homeland,” said Iman During 2005 alone, an estimated 2 million adults and children died as a result of AIDS in the Sub-Saharan region. Looking beyond the statistics and into the individual stories of the unfolding catastrophe, photojournalist Kristen Ashburn documented the impact of the disease from 2001 to 2005. “Thousands of people die each week in sub-Saharan Africa from AIDS. I began this project to give voice to the people behind the statistics. It is my hope that these images provide a window into the reality of what millions of families face as a result of this horrific pandemic,” said Kristen Ashburn. As a continuous supporter of the arts, DKNY Jeans is proud to join in the effort to raise awareness. “Keep a Child Alive speaks to my heart. Because to me, there isn’t anything more important in life than taking care of our children -- especially children in need. When Iman told me about this charity and the work they do, I wanted to help in any way I could,” said Donna Karan, Chief Designer. On December 5th, a round table discussion at 401 Projects will bring together activists, researchers, writers and filmmakers focusing on issues of the pandemic. Furthermore, building size wall projections throughout NYC will raise public awareness about the pandemic. The exhibition will be on view until January 14, 2007 at 401 Projects and afterwards, travel to universities, galleries, and AIDS conferences throughout the world. (www.bloodlineproject.com) 401 Projects, a photography and community space in New York City, opened in April 2006 and was founded by Mark Seliger, (former chief photographer at Rolling Stone for 15 years, currently under contract with Vanity Fair and GQ), and Brent Langton, CEO of Briese Lighting. Created to showcase the work of emerging and well-established photographers (including shows by Albert Watson and Eikoh Hosoe), 401 Projects is a non-commercial gallery. All exhibition sales are remitted to the photographer or a charity of their choice. 401 Projects also partners with charitable and non-for-profit organizations in raising funds and awareness, and in creating workshops and special programming. Keep A Child Alive is an urgent response to the AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa. With 25 million already dead, the disease continues, wiping out whole societies, threatening economic infrastructure and creating tragic devastation in the family structure. Anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment has transformed the lives of people with AIDS in the West, returning them from sickness to health. But less than 5% of Africans with AIDS have access to these life-saving drugs. Keep A Child Alive is dedicated to providing life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to children and their families with HIV/AIDS in Africa and the developing world by directly engaging the global public in the fight against AIDS. “Kristen Ashburn donated her amazing photographs to illustrate Bono and Alicia’s duet “Don’t Give Up Africa. It gave a dimension to the song that brought people to tears. We are honored to be the beneficiary of this show. Kristen shows us the nightmare that Africa is dealing with today. Mass unnecessary death affecting the community and the children of Africa, creating a new entity, 'the child headed household'. How can we allow this to happen? If 12 million AIDS orphans doesn’t move us to action, what will?” Leigh Blake, President & Founder of Keep A Child Alive Mashambanzou Care Trust is a registered Welfare Organization based in Waterfalls, Harare, Zimbabwe. They provide holistic health care for those infected and affected by HIV and AIDS.
For further information, please contact: Reshma Patel
|
