Internationally renowned photography museum, Fotografiska, award-winning entertainment company Mass Appeal, and Chase Marriott Bonvoy credit cards hosted a kick-off celebration during Miami Art Week for the upcoming photography exhibition Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious.
Guests gathered for an evening of music, art, and conversation in honor of the exhibition, which will be a comprehensive documentation of the 50-year evolution of hip-hop, opening at Fotografiska New York in January 2023.
The conversation between exhibition curators Sacha Jenkins (life-long hip-hop documentarian, EMMY-nominated filmmaker, and Chief Creative Officer of Mass Appeal), Sally Berman (Visual Director of Hearst Magazines, formerly of Mass Appeal), Jadakiss, and DJ Stretch Armstong, explored hip-hop’s birth and evolution. The panel was followed by an intimate and lively performance of hits “Knock Yourself Out” and “Ryde or Die B****” by Jadakiss.
Hip-Hop: Conscious, Unconscious is a major new exhibition of over 200 photographs, spanning 1973 to present, traces the rise and proliferation of hip-hop through five decades of work from the trailblazing image-makers who helped codify hip-hop as the most influential pop culture movement of its generation.
Ranging from iconic staples of visual culture (presented with new context) to rare and intimate portraits of hip-hop’s biggest stars, the works on view traverse intersecting themes such as the role of women in hip-hop (Aaliyah, Eve, Erykah Badu, Faith Evans, Foxy Brown, Lauryn Hill, Lil’ Kim, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, TLC, Queen Latifah, Salt-N-Pepa); hip-hop’s regional and stylistic diversification and rivalries; and the mainstream breakthrough that saw a grassroots movement become a global phenomenon.
Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious was created in partnership with Mass Appeal and is co-curated by Sacha Jenkins (Creative Director, Mass Appeal) and Sally Berman (Visuals Director, Hearst; formerly Director of Photography, Mass Appeal). The exhibition is produced in collaboration with Chase Marriott Bonvoy credit cards. Hip Hop: Conscious, Unconscious adds to Mass Appeal’s Hip Hop 50 cross-platform initiative – a manifestation of the company’s commitment to celebrating the culture in the most authentic and globally impactful way possible.