Welcome to The Institute of Black Imagination hosted by artist, writer, and designer Dario Calmese. Each week we bring you conversations from The Pool of Black Genius: a collection of iconoclasts at the leading edge of cultural thought and innovation. We are here to inspire, engage, and to help you … read more
Today's episode is with architect Sekou Cooke. Sekou is one of the leading advocates for the study and practice of Hip-Hop Architecture, a practice that poses hip-hop as architecture and uses the language of design to investigate its construction.
In today's episode, we explore why urban design cannot exist without hip-hop. We lean into what can happen if we start to understand the nature of urban environments, and Sekou reminds us that whether it is hip-hop, your career, or practice, it's essential to make sure love is at the center of what you do.
Things mentioned
Artist, Architect, and Fashion designer Virgil Abloh
“Figures of Speech” exhibition at Brooklyn Musuem dedicated to the work of Virgil Abloh
Artist Theaster Gates
Artist Lauren Halsey
Urban Planner Robert Moses
Post–World War II development StuyTown
Architect Beverly Lorraine Greene
Bricolage is the construction of a sculpture, or a structure of ideas achieved by using whatever comes to hand
What to read
Hip-Hop Architecture by Sekou Cooke
Abloh-Isms by Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh. Nike. Icons by Virgil Abloh
Theaster Gates: Black Madonna by Elvira Dyangani Ose, Theaster Gates (Artist)
The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro
Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
What to listen to
Champion - Buju Banton
One Dance - Drake
One Love - Bob Marley and the Wailers
The Breaks - Kurtis Blow
Your Wish is Your Command - Kevin Trudeau
Who to follow
Follow Sekou Cooke on IG @sekou21
You can also find his studio here.
This conversation was recorded on July 16th, 2022.
Host Dario Calmese
Producer: Coniqua Johnson
Visual Art Direction and Designs:
River Wildmen, Adam Selah, Will Domingue
Director of Digital Content: Vicky Garcia
Bookings: K.T. Thompson
Original Music composed by Adam Radice
Audio Edited by Adam Radice
Visit us at blackimagination.com
Watch this and other episodes on YouTube at: The Institute of Black Imagination.
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