The immersive exhibition reimagines the possibilities of hip-hop as an art form.
Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def, has brought his audiovisual installation, Negus, to the Middle East.
After premiering Negus at Art Basel in Hong Kong last year and following a three-month run at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, the Brooklyn rapper now brings his audiovisual installation to The Third Line Gallery, in Dubai’s Alserkal Avenue.
Negus is the musician’s first album in over a decade and is presented as an immersive sound installation that can only be experienced in person. The 28-minute album recorded in London by Lord Tusk, Steven Julien, and Acyde is unavailable for purchase via digital or physical platforms. bey designed the multi-track recording as an installation to encourage people to be fully present while listening to it.
The latest in a series of international presentations of Negus, the exhibition acknowledges the importance of hip-hop as a fundamental American art form by making the eight-track recording available without the distractions of technology. The Dubai iteration of Negus features artworks by Ala Ebtekar, Anuar Khalifi, Laleh Khorramian, Nima Nabavi, and yasiin bey himself.
Negus takes its name from the word for “king” in Ge` ez, one of Ethiopia’s ancient Semitic languages. bey associates the word with the story of a 19th-century Ethiopian prince named Alämayyähu Tewodros and others who have led noble lives, including Henrietta Lacks and Nipsey Hussle.
Upon entry into the gallery, all phones and smartwatches are be secured in cases that will only be opened at the end of the event. Visitors will maintain possession of their phones at all times, but anyone seen using such devices during the performance will be asked to leave the venue.
Negus runs until 5 May 2021 at The Third Line Gallery in Alserkal, with timed tickets available for one hour shows from 12pm to 8pm daily. AED 75.
You Mos Def-initley don’t want to miss this.
GO: Visit www.sole.digital for tickets and more information.
