DTroit
20 May to 18 July 2004
Detroit promised to take visitors on….
A tour of the art, music, culture and urban vibe of the city also known as Motown.Detroit, once a model of the modern industrial city, was hit hard by the collapse of the automobile industry, the 1967 race riots and ‘white flight’ from the city to the suburbs, all of which combined to give birth to a centre of urban decay and desolation. Within this failed utopia a new generation of artists and musicians developed.
These creatives became the cultural product of the city affectionately known as ‘Motown’, ‘The Motor City’, ‘Techno City’, or simply ‘The D’ . This exhibition played tribute to them and their work, manifested through a unique expression of their urban environment, social history and memory of the city of Detroit.
DTroit also featured a legendary playlist of over twenty hours of music, created over the past 40 years within the city, researched and assembled by legendary music journalist Mike Rubin.
Highlights of DTroit included:
Photographs by Doug Coombe
Coombe’s haunting images of the ruins of Detroit are both beautiful and tragic. The artist documents the fate of once remarkable and prestigious buildings which now exist as abandoned relics and crack houses, serving as disturbing metaphors for what the city has become.
313 Jukebox by Mike Rubin
Curated by legendary music journalist Mike Rubin, 313 Jukebox is a collection of more than 20 hours of Detroit ’s “greatest hits” . With playlists spanning over fifty years and encompassing countless genres and artists, the iPods and listening stations take you on a musical journey through the staggering musical output of the Motor City.
Detroit : Making it Better for You. A video by Kyong Park
Throughout this 30 minute - projection, Kyong Park , outlines the corporate conspiracy he believes has led to the ruin of the city. With ‘drive-by video shootings’ the work is visually stunning and through the in-depth voiceover the narrative becomes scarily plausible.
Hot Irons by Andrew Dosumnu
A 50 minute documentary providing an incredible insight into the unique Black hair styling culture of Detroit, focused on the annual ‘Hair Wars’ runway competition. With stunning cinematography, Dosunmu captures the hopes and pressures of the men who were laid off from the automobile industry and who now compete for recognition and respect in the fantastically creative styling convention.
Photographs by Mark Powell
Powell’s photographs capture the eccentricities of individuals in Detroit , where he claims ‘the crowd does not exist’. His colourful and quirky images are strikingly full of character and endlessly charming. There is also a short video piece about one of his more curious subjects, the ‘Weedwacker’.
Media Release
DTroit.pdf - click here for DTroit’s media release
Customer Comments
Brilliant! Could have spent hours here, had I known it would be so good I’d have allowed a whole day to explore.
Definitely the best temporary exhibition at Urbis so far.
Michelle
Cracking! What a superb, moving, exciting exhibition!
Best Exhibition Ever!!!
Karek, Stockholm
Brill exhibition, especially use of new media. A credit to Urbis. You wouldn’t think it but there’s so much in Detroit’s experience we can share here in Manchester.
Anne
