Tupacproject consists of the construction of a monument dedicated to Tupac Amaru Shakur, the Black Panther rapper who died in 1996 in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas Valley.

Since the opening exhibition at the Marta Herford Museum in 2005, it has stood imperturbably in front of the Gehry architecture: the life-size sculpture by Tupac Shakur.

Raised on a nearly 5 m high pedestal and with arms folded behind, shirtless and eyes lowered, the life-size monument by the Italian artist Paolo Chiasera (*1978, Bologna) is one of the first works of art that the visitors* even before entering look into Marta. And meanwhile it has become an integral part of the “museum skyline”.

For many, however, the presence of the gangsta rapper in Herford remains a mystery, as does the German rapper Marteria, who visited the Tupac statue together with rap colleague Casper last summer. Marteria lost a €50 bet because he doubted the existence of a Tupac statue in Herford.

With contributions from Lorenzo Benedetti, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Pier Luigi Tazzi.

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GAGARIN 22/2010

Gagarin – the artists in their own words – is entirely dedicated to the publication of original texts of artists, who are now working, anywhere in the world. Gagarin wants to publish their words in an unfiltered way, in the form of autobiographical texts or interviews. Gagarin does not restrict itself to a particular period or import and runs through the codes that are applied in the world of art. Gagarin is aimed at those who do not tend to wait until everything is accepted and synthesized and those who ar prepared to leave the road to search for stimulating art and ideas while they are still fresh.

Contributors issue 22/2010:
Joseph Kosuth, Paolo Chiasera, Matej Krén, Tintin Wulia, Alicja Kwade, Roman Signer, Eulalia Valldosera

D 17€

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