The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt, a powerful symbol of remembrance and protest, is set to go on public display at Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall this summer. From June 12 to 16, visitors will have the opportunity to view the quilt in its most prominent exhibition to date at a major British cultural institution.

First created during the 1980s at the height of the AIDS epidemic, the quilt was designed to raise awareness and to honour those who died from AIDS-related illnesses. By the end of 2011, more than 20,000 people diagnosed with HIV had died in the UK.

Inspired by the original AIDS Memorial Quilt in the United States, an initiative led by American activist Cleve Jones in 1987, the UK chapter was started by Scottish activist Alistair Hume. After meeting Jones in San Francisco and witnessing the impact of the American quilt, Hume returned to Edinburgh and began work on a British version to commemorate the lives lost and to humanise the crisis.

The UK quilt, made up of hand-sewn panels created by loved ones, communities and activists, was first shown in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was later placed in storage, with occasional displays in later years, including a showing at the European AIDS Conference in London in 2021. However, the upcoming presentation at Tate Modern marks its first appearance in a major UK arts venue.

The exhibition will include 42 quilts and 23 individual panels, displayed in the Turbine Hall in a formation reminiscent of the quilt’s original public presentations. These outdoor displays were both acts of protest and mourning, aimed at drawing attention to the people behind the statistics.

On Saturday, June 14, a live reading of names will take place at 11am and 2pm, further honouring the individuals commemorated in the quilt.

The display is presented in partnership with the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt and has been initiated by writer and curator Charlie Porter. It is curated by Elliot Gibbons, a Collaborative Doctoral Researcher.