Curator Q&A: The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century

Andréa Purnell, one of the cocurators of The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, answers questions about the exhibition, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop.

The Culture presents a sweeping art history of hip hop culture and its myriad expressions across the globe. It is on view at the Saint Louis Art Museum through January 1. The exhibition was organized by the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art through a collaborative effort that engaged with both museums’ curatorial and education departments.

What is your favorite section of the exhibition?

All the works in The Culture are compelling and play a part in the storytelling, so I don’t think I can pick just one. The Culture exhibition is divided into six sections addressing many of the contemporary conversations surrounding the art form of hip hop, and my favorite section is “Ascension.” Inspired by themes of transcendence that often appear in hip hop lyrics, it is a moment for cognitive reflection, considering ways in which individuals and communities come together in the face of hardship. This section features a work by St. Louis artist Damon Davis illuminating how hip hop as a cultural form can be used by artists to process grief, mourning, and mental health.

What role does community play in this exhibition but also in the larger movement of hip hop in general?

Emerging in 1973 as an unabashed declaration of Black, Latinx, and Afro-Latinx difference, hip hop has always been a culture that reflects community. Now, with the 50th anniversary in 2023, hip hop is a dominant form of expression and the subject of artistic production, embraced by communities from all walks of life.

We learned early on that putting community at the forefront of this exhibition was critical to telling the larger story of hip hop and its impact on visual arts and culture. As curators in St. Louis and Baltimore, we engaged a group of thought leaders both nationally and locally to discuss themes and adhere to the ethos of the movement.

The exhibition also reflects deep community engagement through local partnerships with five St. Louis organizations that each responded to one of the five pillars of hip hop: St. Louis ArtWorks hosted a graffiti mural residency in response to the graffiti pillar; Harris-Stowe State University represented the knowledge pillar with an on-campus discussion of art, hip hop, and mental health; Kode REDD Dance worked with SLAM for programming at the Museum related to the breakdancing pillar; the St. Louis County Library responded to the DJ pillar with workshops for teens and adults at various branches; and UrbArts Gallery will be offering a beat-making residency in response to the emcee (rapping) pillar.

Finally, a third of the artists represented in the exhibition are from the St. Louis or Baltimore region—the exhibition truly reflects our local community. Local artists have made their mark on history, both visually and musically, reflecting the society in which we live through their work and fostering a sense of community akin to hip hop’s origin roots.

What did you learn through curating this exhibition?

I  learned that engaging with communities, allowing a shared authority from conception, works not only to promote a better understanding of cultural diversity but also to forge a contemporary connection with the audience’s lived experience. With an expanded approach, museums can maintain curatorial integrity and produce inclusive results.

What do you hope will resonate with visitors the most? What do you hope visitors will take away from the exhibition?

Hip hop is an undeniable cultural movement that has inspired some of the most important works of art in the 21st century. What I hope will resonate with visitors is the exhibition’s ability to provide a deeper understanding of the social significance of hip hop culture as a powerful force with global reach as well as the many ways in which hip hop and visual arts have influenced one another throughout history. I also hope visitors appreciate the authentic and unapologetic cultural framework of the show. The exhibition includes something for everyone and is something anyone can relate to.

What does hip hop mean to you?

Hip hop means more than music. Hip hop means progress and struggle. Hip hop means self-expression and coded language. Hip hop means style and swagger. Hip hop means movement and resistance. Hip hop means a sense of belonging. Hip hop means controlling the narrative. It means being at the forefront of pop culture around the world and continuing to evolve.
 
The Culture is curated by Hannah Klemm, SLAM’s former associate curator of modern and contemporary art; Andréa Purnell, SLAM’s audience development manager; Asma Naeem, the Dorothy Wagner Wallis Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art; and Gamynne Guillotte, the BMA’s chief education officer with Rikki Byrd, the BMA’S curatorial research fellow and Carlyn Thomas, the BMA’s curatorial assistant.