Confronted with a pile of candy emerging from the corner of a museum, the viewer must decide how to interact with the work: either take a piece of candy, or leave the pile untouched. This work by Félix González-Torres, called Untitled (Portrait of Ross in LA), begins as a pile of candy equaling the weight of González-Torres’s partner, Ross, who was living with AIDS. This work thus implicates viewers in the reality of the AIDS crisis, forcing them to grapple with the love and loss wrapped up in the progression of the disease. The act of taking candy piece by piece slowly yet surely erases Ross’s figurative portrait. As more and more viewers pass by the work, they must decide whether they will contribute to his disappearance or maintain what is left of the portrait. The candy is sweet, like love, and yet, as it disappears, the bitterness of loss descends upon us. Therefore, this work not only wills viewers to make decisions, but also forces them to confront the consequence of their decision — that of love and loss.