The Museum of Pop Culture’s mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities.
'Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop' Exhibition Opens October 16 at MoPOP
A single image can define a moment, creating an instant icon. Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop opens October 16, 2021 at the Museum of Pop Culture.
They say a picture’s worth 1,000 words, and that’s especially true of one of music’s most language-conscious genres: hip-hop. Contact High explores four decades of photography, from the late 1970s to today, documenting a revolution not just in music, but in politics, race relations, fashion, and culture. Through more than 170 iconic images of hip-hop's most influential artists (Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Tupac, and more) — including contact sheets that give us a rare glimpse into the creative process of a photo session — Contact High examines the evolution of hip-hop, connecting us with the experiences, identities, and places that have shaped the world’s most popular music genre.
- Get Tickets: Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop | Open October 16, 2021
Contact High Exhibition Details:
- See how artists like The Notorious B.I.G, Aaliyah, Wu-Tang Clan, Sir Mix-A-Lot, and so many more defined themselves to the public.
- Explore hip-hop throughout the United States, including the regional cultures that flourished in different parts of the U.S.
- In addition to photographs, experience artifacts from MoPOP’s permanent collection such as early rap battle fliers, Tupac Shakur manuscripts, Flavor magazines, and costumes from Sha-Rock, The Notorious B.I.G., and MF DOOM add to our understanding of hip-hop culture.
Want To Be One Of The First To See Contact High?
Become a MoPOP member today and get exclusive access to see Contact High on Member Preview Day, October 15, 2021 before it’s open to the public on October 16.
- Become a Member: Join by September 29 for Access to Contact High Member Preview Day
Other exciting benefits of membership:
- Come back and see Contact High and your other favorite exhibitions again and again for free for the entire year of your membership
- Early access to tickets for opening weekend
- Join a community of passionate pop culture fans
- Support the important work MoPOP does in our community and more!
To ready yourself for an intimate glimpse into hip-hop's history, check out this playlist curated by Contact High’s creative director, hip-hop pioneer, and the original host of Yo! MTV Raps, Fab 5 Freddy.
Exhibition made possible by the Annenberg Space for Photography + International Center of Photography. Curator Vikki Tobak, Creative Director Fab 5 Freddy. Based on the Book CONTACT HIGH: A Visual History of Hip-Hop by Vikki Tobak.
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If you like what you see, support our work by making a donation or planning a visit to MoPOP today!