Symposium – Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture

Please join us for a symposium for Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip Hop Architecture.

Presentations and a panel discussion will be followed by a workshop by BlackSpace exploring some of the themes raised in the exhibition.

Presentations and Panel Discussion
Moderator:
Sekou Cooke, Curator, Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip Hop Architecture

Speakers:
Nina Cooke John, RA, Studio Cooke John
James Garrett, Jr., AIA, NOMA, 4RM+ULA Architects
Andres L. Hernandez, Associate Professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Craig L. Wilkins, PhD, Senior Lecturer, University of Michigan

Workshop by BlackSpace
Through an analysis of the origins, inspirations, and aspirations of hip hop architecture; the aim of the workshop is to explore the use of hip-hop architecture as a tool for Black cultural preservation.

Workshop facilitators:
Ifeoma Ebo, Director of Strategic Design Initiatives, NYC Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice
Peter Robinson, Urbanist; Faculty, Parsons School of Design
Ife Vanable, PhD Candidate, History and Theory of Architecture, Columbia University
Tara Duvivier, Tara Duvivier, AICP. Urban Planner

BlackSpace works to nurture and support Black people in fields of influence that shape social and spatial environments. BlackSpace promotes and protects Black communities through collaborations that strengthen Black assets. The collective bridges gaps between policy, people, and place to realize equity and justice, moving away from perfunctory forms of engagement towards planning that recognizes, affirms, and amplifies Black agency.