ZANG CHOI

I AM

My journey as an artist began in 2017 with my debut group exhibition. Over the course of my career, I have participated in 17 group exhibitions and hosted 3 solo exhibitions. My arts initially focused on installation- and sculptural works. My focus has now shifted to video art, where I create animations using 3D software.

Creating art is like initiating a meaningful conversation with the audience, inviting them to engage in dialogue. My work emphasizes addressing the stigma surrounding HIV, making the audience an essential part of the discussion as active participants. Through my art, I aim to reach not only non-LGBTQIA+ individuals but also LGBTQIA+ people who may struggle to openly discuss HIV stigma. I hope that my art inspires LGBTQIA+ individuals in South Korea to speak more freely about this issue.

Ultimately, I aspire for my art to empower LGBTQIA+ individuals and people living with HIV to recognize the strength and beauty they already possess, encouraging them to embrace and utilize these qualities fully.

OPEN

In 2019 I disclosed my HIV status for the first time during an art exhibition called “Blood Vessel Wall”. August 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of my HIV diagnosis. The reason I disclosed my HIV status is to break the social stigma and prejudice faced by people living with HIV like myself and to foster greater empathy. By being open and transparent about my struggles, I aim to change the misconceptions surrounding HIV.

I strive to share my experience as a person living with HIV with everyone around me. My current and former workplaces, my family, friends, and even my partner all know about my HIV status. In Korea, many people still cannot imagine that someone living with HIV can exist ‘among them’ as a living, breathing person. I believe that people with HIV can exist in every space—kindergartens, schools, workplaces, restaurants, hospitals, on the streets, buses, in neighbors’ homes, your home, even in your bed. That’s why I aim to disclose my HIV status wherever possible.

I hope that by sharing my story as a person living with HIV, I contribute to reducing social stigma by challenging the prejudices that people living with HIV face and create a society where people living with HIV are freed from negative perceptions and are recognized and respected. I also hope that through sharing my experiences, my art serves as a catalyst for social change, seeking to create opportunities for others living with HIV to escape social isolation and gain greater empathy and support.

I always say that ‘the virus carries no prejudice’. HIV stigma and discrimination place the burden of responsibility on people living with HIV, causing them to internalize self-hatred. In Korean society, many people still hold individuals with HIV responsible for their infection, attempting to push them out of their communities. I always emphasize that HIV is not a punishment for specific behaviors or sexuality, even more so, that the responsibility for the infection should not fall on those living with HIV.