“It’s all about the essence of the boom box,” said Brooklyn-based artist Mikal Hameed, whose new exhibit “Urban Audio Manifesto #3,” lets viewers plug in their iPods or smart phones into the work and play their favorite music.
Showing at 58 Gallery, 58 Coles St. in Jersey City through February, the artist installed speakers in found and discarded objects, creating a “plug and play” exhibit that lets his audience share their music with others. But don’t worry if your phone doesn’t have an mp3 player. Some of his works even play vinyl.
“I wanted to put music back on the street,” Hameed said. “Everyone always has to headphone up. This exhibit is all about taking the headphones out of the equation.”
“We want to get other people to listen to what were listening to.” – Mikal Hameed
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“My friends couldn’t break[dance] without me,” he said.
His new exhibit allows people to share their music with others without worrying about being a distraction.
“We want to get other people to listen to what were listening to,” Hameed said. “Setting up an atmosphere where people don’t have to freak out if there’s music on.”
“Urban Audio Manifesto #3” is the third installment in a series of five, which the artist plans to take all across the country.
“The whole goal was to do five galleries in five cities in five months,” Hameed said. “I wanted to come to you and your home city and to have you experience my art.”
The artist has already shown his work in Los Angeles and San Francisco, has upcoming shows in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and hopes to schedule two more shows in Colorado and Washington D.C. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Friday, Feb. 5 from 7 to 11 p.m.
Find out more about Hameed at www.mikalhameed.com.
Two for one
The ingenuity of Hameed’s work might just be the practicality of his creations.
“I’m almost making some sort of product,” Hameed said. “Combining two products — artwork with your sound system. I’m trying to make something that cresendos, that the elements really enhance each other.”
The artist, who loved to croquet hats when he was younger, said he had the idea for the exhibit while riding on the train.
“I wanted to croquet the headphones right into the hat I was wearing,” Hameed said. “Once I finally made one of the pieces, people just wanted more and more of them.”
Found objects are always free
The exhibit uses a lot of vintage furniture and found objects, which the artist said are perfect for his work.
“Ninety percent of things people throw away are good anyway,” Hameed said. “There might be a rip in the chair or something, but now I’ve been getting almost all my material from friends. It’s really cost effective.”
Hameed, who considers his exhibit a “sound installation,” also created oversized paintings with speakers in the back and an 8-inch jack that connect to iPods, iPhones, or other smart devices.
Although the artist’s nationwide touring exhibit is gaining popularity, Hameed said he is far from your stereotypical pretentious artist.
“I’m not that guy with the skinny jeans on and a T-shirt in the back of the gallery. I don’t want to come off super cool. Just make sure you bring some music.”
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com