Over the past few decades, the veteran choreographer and improviser Ishmael Houston-Jones has become something of a godfather to Downtown dance. He is always on the lookout for new talent; beyond that, he is a guide, showing a younger generation how to grasp the bigger picture of the art form. This fall, Mr. Houston-Jones, 65, along with Will Rawls, a 37-year-old choreographer, performer and writer, will oversee Platform 2016: “Lost and Found” at Danspace Project.

[ More dance this fall: a season of Indian mythology and ballets by women, and Vail comes to New York ]

Platform, a multiweek series initiated by Danspace’s executive director and chief curator, Judy Hussie-Taylor, addresses a theme or an artist in performances, talks and whatever other events a curator dreams up. This edition, the 11th, will focus on the impact of AIDS on generations of dance artists. What traces remain of these vanished artists? The ambitious and serious “Lost and Found,” running Oct. 13-Nov. 19, features more than 28 events, including a zine project, film screenings, readings and, fittingly, a vigil.

Mr. Houston-Jones conceived of “Lost and Found” after reading a pamphlet of collected writings by the choreographer John Bernd, who died of complications of AIDS at 35 in 1988. Mr. Bernd explored AIDS and gay sexuality directly in his dances.