Born 1947, Gent (Belgium) / Works in Belgium

Leo Copers’ installations and site-specific works weave experiences and narratives so that objects take on new and unexpected meanings. He often selects and combines materials that are rich in meaning and symbolic content, such as gold, blood, roses, glass and knives. In 2007, Copers was commissioned by Han Nefkens to make a work for ArtAids to be presented in the UNAIDS building in Geneva.

1
Hallo, 2008
Video
Duration: 12 mins

This video was made in the intention to show it in every air plane flying to Thailand. We all know that on this air planes some people come to Thailand ( as well to some other countries) only for sex.
            Nice young people welcome them saying “Hello!” but also by showing them in a flash the AIDS ribbon. In this way there is a communication between the local people and the visitor: “Do not infect me, get not infected.”
            No aviation company was prepared to show the video.

            Now the video is shown at the entrance of places where the “More to Love” show takes place, an in a few bars.

2
Buddha (of Commiseration), 2008
Buddha sculpture, red silk, red ribbons, tray, red carpet
Size: H2.35m x W65”

The first title of this installation was “Buddha of Commiseration”. This title was chosen because I did not want to shock anybody. But, is there any Buddha who is not a Buddha of commiseration? Is compassion not an important item in Buddhism?
If the installation should function as I wish, making people aware of the HIV – AIDS problem, I am obligated to change the title into more striking one. I could have named the piece also “HIV BUDDHA” but I did not, because HIV is les known by the general public, and AIDS is a worldwide striking concept.
            This first rather soft title of the installation had his origin in reactions on the early formulation of the idea. Buddha statues are often dressed with a fabric ribbon over the  left shoulder. This did give me the idea to dress up the statues with a kind of ribbon over both shoulders, a red one, a world wide know AIDS ribbon. I had the intention to ask monks to dress the Buddhas in the wats in this way. But… the reaction of monks was: “We believe in your good intentions, but it is impossible to do”. Once again, as it often is in any religion, the rite, the form, was more important than the contain.
           
            Thanks to ART AIDS and the Art Department of Silpakorn University I was able to do one Buddha, installed according to my idea.
I choose a very common bronze gold plated Thai Buddha statue, it is a sitting one, the right hand in teaching posture. The statue as it has to be ; on a pedestal above foot level. The Buddha dressed in a red silk AIDS ribbon.  In front of the statue lies  a red carpet on witch there is a plate filled up with AIDS ribbons. Visitors can take a ribbon if they wish. There is no essence to burn, there is no supply to put offerings, there are no candles.
             The Buddha is teaching, teaching a new lesson about, a problem of our time, the big ribbon he wears and the small ribbons in the plate shows what the teaching is about. The Buddha does not receive any thing, no, He gives, the lesson and the ribbon.

            By changing some details of a common set up, the whole thing changes his signification. By slightly change tradition I hope to  activate awareness.