A new exhibition titled 'Tenderness and Rage' at the Wellcome Collection in London explores how HIV and AIDS activism combined care and protest to improve the rights and dignity of those affected by the disease. The show features archival photos, a documentary about the Landmark drop-in centre in Tulse Hill, and works like hand-stitched body parts from a workshop for HIV-positive women. It also addresses the Wellcome Trust's controversial history with the drug AZT, including Act UP's campaign to lower its price, and includes Gideon Mendel's iconic series 'The Ward' humanizing gay men with HIV.
This exhibition matters because it reframes the history of the AIDS epidemic through the lens of both rage and tenderness, highlighting how marginalized groups—gay men, women of colour, refugees—found power and solidarity through activism and mutual care. By confronting institutional complicity and celebrating grassroots resilience, the show offers a timely reminder of the ongoing relevance of community-led responses to health crises and the importance of preserving these histories for future generations.