A virtual exhibition bringing all the creativity and ideas of the competition winners for ANLAIDS’s 40th anniversary to ICAR 2026—bringing to life a wearable prevention campaign touring across Italy.

Science and Prevention at the Intersection of Fashion and Creativity at ICAR 2026

On the occasion of ICAR 2026, the HABITUS exhibition arrived in Sicily, presented in a phygital—physical and digital—format. This expanded its awareness initiative through an innovative, accessible language combining art, fashion, and social advocacy.

Thanks to the video exhibition, ICAR 2026 attendees were able to view the 36 finalist sketches and 3 physical garments created by designers from across Italy, transforming clothing into a communication tool capable of promoting a culture of prevention, sexual health awareness, and combating HIV-related stigma. Each creation served as a visual manifesto celebrating inclusion, rights, and collective responsibility.

Born from the meeting of applied arts, fashion, and design with ANLAIDS’s 40-year commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, HABITUS builds a transmedia bridge across artistic disciplines, generations, and active citizenship practices, highlighting the potential of culture as a driver for well-being and social change. The project is made possible through the unconditional support of Gilead and ViiV.

This initiative fully embodies the spirit of the recent Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Health in April 2026, which recognizes culture as a catalyst for inclusion, prevention, and enhanced quality of life. From this perspective, HABITUS serves as a concrete example of how artistic expression can help spread knowledge, dismantle prejudice, and encourage more conscious engagement with public health issues.

Through the digital version showcased at ICAR 2026, HABITUS has further amplified its message, making the experience accessible to a broader audience and confirming fashion and creativity’s power to serve as a platform for dialogue, education, information, and social inclusion.

For more information:
https://www.anlaids.it
https://www.icar2026.com