When one thinks of hip-hop they often think of music, clothing, lifestyle….but architecture? If you are scratching your head on that last one, then G-Sync has a mind-blowing event for you to attend this week.
Architect Michael Ford, author of “Hip Hop Architecture 101,” will be at Kendall College of Art and Design as a part of the 2017
Hip Hop Appreciation Week.
Through his years of research, publications, and lectures, Michael Ford has been shaking up the landscape that he inhabits by blending professional practice and academia between the architectural and hip hop communities.
Ford has, according to BrandNu’s design company, dedicated himself “to stimulating cross-disciplinary discourse between practitioners and residents on the sociological and cultural implications of architecture and urban planning on its inhabitants. More specifically, Ford has unveiled the subconscious roles of historical architectural figures such as LeCorbusier in envisioning the built environments which necessitated the birth of hip hop culture.”
His practice and theory have roots extending all the way back to early 20th Century architectural thinking. This is something that should be of serious interest to the West Michigan community whose own history also has touched on some of these movements as well.
What is powerful about Ford’s vision is that hip hop as a music form has often been about showcasing the underrepresented voices of our society. Ford in this lecture will draw unique lines as he raises a lot to consider about community building and narrative creation.
"When I give lectures, [people] come prepared to hear a gimmick. I don't believe it's a gimmick. To me, hip hop is a voice for the voiceless,” says Ford recently at The American Institute of Architects Conference according to author Steve Cimino. “I definitely don't describe hip-hop architecture as a style [since] -isms got communities of color in trouble before, so hip-hop architecture won't be classified as 'modernism.' It's more of a new mindset: getting communities engaged who don't have a voice in the process."
With all that we are experiencing as a society, I believe that this lecture will potentially lure a lot of folks to attend because of the title, but will leave with a greater understanding of the power of hip hop. Not just as a vehicle to give voice, but as a way to also lift up a fresh vision of community via design. That is the real power of hip hop.
Ford’s appearance in Grand Rapids is made possible through the support of these local organizations: Isaac Norris and Associates, Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Start Garden, AIA Grand Rapids, CONDUIT, Gorilla, and the Grand Rapids HipHop Coalition.
To ensure a seat at this event, please register here. Please visit this website to see all the events happening at this year's Hip Hop Appreciation Week.