CAFE CURE

42nd Street Project
Creative Time
New York, NY, USA

Installation | 1994
Material: Medical paraphernalia, paper coffee cups, malt glasses, spoons, bleach, laser prints, Ken dolls, acupuncture meridian models, ribbons, diner-ware, dog toys, condoms, house paint

first image | exterior view
In an abandoned diner on 42nd Street by Times Square, Cafe Cure was a site-specific installation that encouraged people living with HIV/AIDS to consider alternative healthcare along with their primary healthcare; and to draw attention to an epidemic that crosses all boundaries, including race, class, and gender.

second image | installation view
The work was viewed from the street only. Iconic to-go coffee cups in intravenous feeding bags were suspended in the refrigeration unit, needle cleaning kits accompanied milk shake glasses, daily special signs offered morphine drip coffee, plates of hotdog with condom relish.

third image | detail
200 Ken dolls dipped in yellow paint, some tagged with positive signs.

The site no longer exists.

Photos by Artist