Each stitched panel honours someone who died from AIDS-related illness, forming part of a vast global project that began in the 1980s at the height of the epidemic. Created by loved ones, the quilt is both a tribute and a protest.
The project was started by American activist Cleve Jones, who began sewing panels after losing dozens of friends and witnessing government inaction.
Speaking at the Tate, Jones condemned recent cuts to global HIV funding by the Trump administration, calling them “unconscionable.” Campaigners warn the loss of U.S. aid will cost hundreds of thousands of lives, especially in vulnerable regions.
