Visual art has been tied to hip-hop culture since its inception, and initially manifested itself most clearly in the form of graffiti and fashion trends. During the genre’s first decades, notable hip-hop practitioners whose work crossed the boundaries of music and visual art included Fab 5 Freddy, Rammellzee, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. More current examples of cross-disciplinary connections between hip-hop and visual art include the efforts of Swizz Beatz, Ecletic Method, and the Hi-ARTS non-profit organization for advancing educational hip-hop projects in the arts. Simultaneously, references to visual artists have appeared more frequently in the lyrics of hip-hop musicians such as Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne.
In short, hip-hop has become a global phenomenon influencing many facets of society, including art, education, and visual culture. The possibilities of this influence have not gone unnoticed, and a number of scholars have discussed the connections between hip-hop and visual art, fashion, and postmodernism, while others have critically examined hip-hop’s influence on visual culture.HIV/ Aids is stills a major threat to the life and livelihood of young people in Uganda. This in spite of the numerous interventions by government and foreign stakeholders to create awareness among young people on the prevention of the pandemic through different platforms, particularly the mass media and workshops.
While research shows that the youth have embraced the awareness and prevention campaigns, statistics continue to show the young people are one of the most vulnerable groups in acquiring the pandemic. Studies from UNAIDS and Uganda Aids Commission alongside TASO- a local non-government institution at the forefront of the fight against AIDS- highlights this contradiction.Such disparity illustrates that there are gaps in the scientific awareness campaigns, specifically at the grass-root level where the youth largely inhabit in informal spaces.
The youth are largely to be found living and working in poor suburbs of Katwe, Kalerwe, Nassana, Nakulabye and Ndeeba.
Such generally informal communities with typically informally trained young people require a medium that can break the barriers found in their everyday living. Incidentally such barriers including cultural and social stigma perpetuate Aids infection among the population.
In order to curb further spread of the disease and influence the much needed holistic approach to Aids infection, especially among young people, it is critical to employ collaborative and inclusive platforms in the fight.Visual arts, possess the potential to engage the youth on the disease through its inclusive and informal nature.
Art can be effective in breaking taboos
Research has in the past demonstrated that art can be effective in breaking down taboos, enabling dialogue about sexuality and challenging HIV/AIDS stigma, with potential to change sexual behaviour among communities.Based on such facts, meaningful relationships are established among the different youth from different cultural, gender and social backgrounds. Consequently, this inspires comprehensive and genuine conversations on the disease, within the context of young people.
Such adoption of visual arts is much evident in the recent researched based production of artworks by student-artist, Robert Ssewanyana.The post-graduate student at Durham University, UK- specializing in the use of applied sculpture in prevention and empowerment of HIV/ AIDs among young people ( Phd thesis)- creates functional objects in open spaces to open up conversations on Aids infection and prevention.
Applied sculpture literally means the production of functional artworks or familiar objects for the local community. Hence, through the production of these everyday objects that are created from ordinary materials like wood and metal accessed from the local community, opportunities for diverse conversations on HIV/ Aids are provided.
