It reminds me of the story he recounted in Decoded when a reporter who had been interviewing him got distracted by the paradoxical pairing of his Jesus piece above a Che Guevara t-shirt, and that Carter was so taken aback by that.
I do think, however, that the public persona of the rapper and hustler unfortunately strips the acquisition and appreciation of art to commodity. I also know the difference between the persona of the rapper JAY-Z and Shawn Carter the entrepreneur and, perhaps, aesthete. I know that JAY-Z is an art collector, and his in-ness with art world types has been well-documented (see “Picasso Baby”). The enshrinement of an image, especially something as ubiquitous as the Mona Lisa, can be dangerous, as it strips the work of art of its multivalent interpretations and only uses it as a sign that essentially reads: status. Another uneasy response was immediately thinking of those memes of Puff Daddy standing in front of the Mona Lisa, etc. Art was being used to signify status with no meaning outside of cultural capital and luxury. It's not the responsibility of the artists featured nor the director to give each painting its proper due, but I did feel like the art was only being used as a backdrop in this case. Now, obviously JAY-Z and Beyoncé looking at art at the museum would be a really boring music video (though I would love to be a fly on the wall to overhear their conversation about the Mona Lisa). Art is not merely a photo-op, and posing in front of art is reducing it to a backdrop. People photograph everything, look but don't see, understanding very little of context. My second thought, and I'm not proud of this, was, ruefully "cool, more museum selfies." One of my pet peeves is, in spite of how many visitors there are in museums, how little time people actually spend looking at the art. I'm less sure about this current project. The relationship between Julie Dash and Arthur Jafa's Daughters of the Dust and Beyoncé's Lemonade was, to my mind, a brilliant way to incorporate art in a music video, elevating the music and, in some ways, highlighting the artistic inspiration. The video itself is gorgeously shot, and does show a continued interest in art on behalf of the artists, JAY-Z and Beyoncé, to engage with art (notable precursors being JAY-Z's "Picasso Baby," and Beyoncé's use of David Hammons and Richard Prince in “7/11”).
My first reaction, was being thrilled that art was being featured in a music video at all. Revisit the now-iconic music video for “Apes-t” below.First of all, what were your initial reactions to the “APESHIT” video? The Louvre also capitalized on the endorsement of the powerhouse couple by turning footage from their visit into a 90-minute “JAY-Z and Beyoncé at the Louvre” themed tour in July.
At the time of the visual’s release in June 2018, a spokesperson shared that the couple “visited the Louvre four times in the last 10 years.”Ī spokesperson also added, “The deadlines were very tight, but the Louvre was quickly convinced because the synopsis showed a real attachment to the museum and its beloved artworks.” How much the couple paid to rent out the museum and receive unprecedented access remains unknown. The Louvre has remained relatively tight-lipped regarding how the music video and its concept came to be executed. This likely could also be credited to the Carters’ undeniable influence and high-profile music video, which has since been viewed more than 150 million times. “The Beyoncé video, like the opening of the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi, ensured that the Louvre was talked about across the world, and one of the consequences of that is the spectacular rise in visitor numbers last year.”Īdditionally, the museum maintains its ability to attract young visitors by citing that 50% of its clientele are under the age of 30. “It’s clear that 2018 was a remarkable year for the international reputation of the Louvre,” the museum’s director, Jean-Luc Martinez, shared in an interview during a French radio appearance. According to The Guardian, the increase in attendance makes for the museum’s best year since 2012, during which 9.7 million visitors frequented its galleries. While the Louvre is already credited as the most popular museum in the world, the Carters helped break a new visitor record.Īs reported, over 10 million people visited the iconic location in 2018, resulting in a 25 percent rise in visitors from the previous year. The stunning visual, directed by frequent collaborator Ricky Saiz, featured the power couple running through their fierce vocal contributions in front of an Egyptian sphinx, an internationally renowned collection of neo-classical French paintings, and the glorious architecture of the famed museum. Beyoncé and JAY-Z upped the ante last year by filming their music video for the Everything Is Love cut “Apes-t” in the Louvre.