Niccolo Cosme Displays Conceptual Photos at NY Philippine Center, 8/27-9/7

(Press Release) Blending images from Christian iconography with messages on HIV and AIDS, the conceptual photographs of Niccolo Cosme disrupt and provoke, as well as inspire, and provide hope and reassurance.

In this collection of photographs titled “Resplendor: The Blinding Light," Niccolo delves deep into the experiences and aspirations, insights and emotions that comprise the realities of HIV and migration, particularly for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

The 20 photos in the exhibit are varied yet unified – some of the artworks are very personal, leaving most the interpretation to the viewer, while other photos have messages that share some of Niccolo’s thoughts, while allowing room for other opinions.

The Resplendor photographs have been exhibited in the Philippines at the House of Representatives, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Asian Institute of Management, and at various events supported by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Three photographs from the Resplendor collection have been exhibited at the UN regional center in Bangkok, Thailand. One of Niccolo’s most significant works, “Pagsubok” (“The Trials”), will soon be installed at the UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The conceptual photo was inspired by St. Camillus de Lelis, the patron saint of the sick, as well as of people who provide health care. “I’ve dedicated it to the brothers and priests of St. Camillus, my beloved friends who’ve devoted their lives to people living with HIV and AIDS in the Philippines and around the world,” Niccolo shares. 

“As a child, I'd been fascinated by images from Christian iconography, which I've infused with the pain and sorrow that come with experience and maturity. I use these images to convey meanings and evoke responses in support of my advocacies,” says Niccolo of his work.

The Resplendor will be on exhibit at the Philippine Center in New York City from August 27 to September 7, 2012, co-sponsored by APICHA Community Health Center. "Resplendor: The Blinding Light" is also made possible by 2GO Travel and 2GO Express in cooperation with Kalusugan Coalition.

About Niccolo Cosme

More than a visual artist, Niccolo Cosme is a visionary who wields his art and craft to intensify and broaden his advocacy on HIV and AIDS.

Realizing that “it’s closer than you think” when a friend was diagnosed with HIV, Niccolo conceptualized his first photo exhibit on HIV in 2008 (Headshot Clinic – AWARE). Since then, he has worked in partnership with UNAIDS Philippines for the past three years, and his exhibits on HIV and AIDS have been supported as well by the country offices of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)  and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). One of his artworks from the Resplendor collection will soon be installed as part of the Art for AIDS exhibit at the UNAIDS headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. 

A conceptual and fashion photographer, Niccolo mobilizes commitments and resources within his spheres of influence, and engages new partners in the response to HIV and AIDS – designers and models, celebrities, leaders in media and advertising, young people and within his own community of men who have sex with men.

At the age of 32, Niccolo has garnered awards and accolades both in his home country (Philippines) and overseas. In 2011, Niccolo topped the 7th annual PPA (Professional Photographers of America) Affiliate Asian-Pacific Image Competition in Seoul, Korea with his artwork "The Brotherhood of Men." The photograph ranked first among more than 400 entries from different countries that included Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and Korea. In February 2012, he was one of the recipients of the “Ani ng Dangal” (Harvest of Honors) awards of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines.

Niccolo is the founder and Creative Director of Headshot Clinic, an electronic platform which blends photography and social networking for advocacy as well as commercial purposes. Appointed as a goodwill ambassador for Levi’s (Philippines) in 2011, he had maximized the opportunity to reach a wider audience with messages on HIV prevention and non-discrimination. In July 2012, Niccolo became a goodwill ambassador for the Philippine youth movement “Project Pagsulong,” which again gives him the opportunity to encourage and inspire young people to become involved in HIV prevention. Together with other fellow HIV advocates, he founded "The Red Whistle," a cutting edge HIV prevention campaign.

“As an artist, I've understood that we need to create something that can make people feel the urgency to move and to respond, using visual and auditory symbols as a call to action for intensified advocacy on HIV and AIDS,” Niccolo affirms.

For more details, check out www.niccolo-cosme.com or email the artist at niccolo.cosme@gmail.com