Basquiat soundtracks: An Unprecedented Exhibition by the Philharmonie de Paris and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Jean-Michel Basquiat lived, painted, danced, invented and transgressed at a time when New York was experiencing one of its most creative periods in terms of musical history. New urban sounds like new wave and hip-hop were starting to shape the scene, granting it a strong identity that also accompanied street and pop art movements. Such was the environment in which the artist found himself evolving. A big music lover, Basquiat had a collection of more than 3,000 records from a wide variety of genres and styles. How could we then fathom understanding the importance of music in the artist’s imagination?
This is the question Basquiat Soundtracks asks. Unique and unprecedented in its approach, this project marks an important moment for the Philharmonie de Paris. It involves experimenting with and through music, a completely new way of exhibiting the work of this multifaceted artist that strengthens and revitalizes the programme of the institution. For the first time, Basquiat’s work will be heard as well as seen.
Photos: Ayka Lux
