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Tenderness and Rage

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Coming soon
  • Free
  • Display
Black and white photo of a hospital ward, with two people in casual clothes lying together on a narrow hospital bed in the foreground. The bed is surrounded by medical equipment, drinks and personal items, including photos and cards on the wall. In the background, a nurse walks alone down a long corridor lined with curtains.

‘Tenderness and Rage’ explores HIV and AIDS through stories of protest and care, from the height of the UK’s AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s to global experiences of HIV today.

Through photography, film and archival materials, the display connects everyday acts of care with activists' fights for dignity, rights and equitable access to treatment.

At its centre are two photographic series created with artist Gideon Mendel. ‘The Ward’ documents the lives of patients on AIDS wards at Middlesex Hospital in London, while ‘Through Positive Eyes’ – a project led by the Art and Global Health Centre at UCLA – shares the perspectives of HIV activists worldwide.

‘Tenderness and Rage’ amplifies voices often marginalised, with a particular focus on women living with HIV in the UK and around the world.

The exhibition is curated by Adam Rose.

A woman in a teal dress lies on a bed in a small room with corrugated metal walls, embracing and kissing a man who is lying down with his head on a pillow. Colorful curtains with cars, boats, and trains hang behind them, and backpacks are hanging on the wall nearby.
‘Phindile, Johannesburg’ (2010) from Through Positive Eyes, a project of the UCLA Art & Global Health Center and Gideon Mendel.

Visit us

Opening on 29 May 2026

Free admission

Galleries open Tuesday–Sunday, Opening times

Gallery 3, level 1

Step-free access is available to all floors of the building

British Sign Language videos are available

Access resources include a visual story, large print guides and audio description

Access resources

When you're here

Resources designed to support your visit are available online and in the gallery.

BSL, transcripts and induction loops
  • BSL content is available in the gallery
  • Transcripts of all audiovisual content are available in the gallery
  • All videos are subtitled
  • There are fixed induction loops in the building and portable induction loops available to borrow
Audio description and visual access
  • A large-print guide and magnifiers are available in the gallery
  • There is a tactile line on the gallery floor
Wheelchair and physical access
  • Step-free access is available to all floors of the building
  • We have a Changing Places toilet on level 0 and accessible toilets on all floors
Sensory access
  • A visual story with a sensory map is available in the building at the start of the exhibition
  • You can borrow tinted glasses, tinted visors, ear defenders and weighted lap pads. Please speak to a member of staff in the building
  • Weekday mornings are usually the quietest times to visit

Access information, tours and queries

Visit our accessibility page
access@wellcomecollection.org