Due to heavy rain in the forecast, tonight’s High Line Tour: From Freight to Flowers has been canceled. We look forward to seeing you on a future tour!
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Azikiwe Mohammed
First Excursions First Horizons
June 9, 6pm
Various locations on the High Line
Monday, 6/5: On the High Line, near and around 30th Street and 10th Avenue
Tuesday, 6/6: On the High Line, between 22nd and 25th Streets
Friday, 6/9: On the High Line, between 16th and 17th Streets
Azikiwe Mohammed works fluidly across a wide variety of mediums, making paintings, jewelry, furniture, photographs, tapestries, and sculptures that draw from a set of aesthetics found in the Black home as it exists in America. Especially attracted to wood and neon for their tactile warmth, Mohammed often assembles his objects into immersive, room-like installations, making spaces in which viewers can feel instinctively safe and reflected. At the heart of all of Mohammed’s work is a love for other people and a desire to open up spaces where we can share—and be—together.
DJ Black Helmet aka Azikiwe Mohammed realizes First Excursions First Horizons, a new sound performance for the High Line. New York City-based musicians Taja Cheek, CX KIDTRONIK, and Peter Toussaint perform sets based on custom-made records made by Mohammed. The records hold recordings of sounds of the everyday Black experience and are played in Mohammed’s search for the less terrestrial sounds of Blackness. The work builds on Mohammed’s multidisciplinary practice that extends into sound and performance and activates the full length of the park, creating an immersive and transformative experience.
Listen to a 30-minute version of First Excursions First Horizons, recorded live over three days on the High Line in June 2023. This recording comprises live performances from Peter Toussaint, Taja Cheek and DJ Black Helmet.
Watch the video below for more information:
Photo release:
By attending this event, you agree that photos and/or video footage of you may be taken, and you grant your permission to Friends of the High Line and its agents/licensees to use such photos/footage for promotional and other purposes.
Artist bio
Azikiwe Mohammed (b. 1983, New York, New York) lives and works in New York City. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions at institutions including Transformer, Washington, DC (2022); The Seaport, New York, New York (2021); SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah, Georgia (2019); and Knockdown Center, Maspeth, New York (2017). He has participated in recent group exhibitions including because I am that, California African American Museum, Los Angeles, California (2022); Elegies: Still Lifes in Contemporary Art, MoAd, San Francisco, California, and Telfair Museums, Savannah, Georgia; and This Is The Day, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas (2021).
Musician Bios:
Taja Cheek
Under the mononym L’Rain, Taja Cheek records and performs music rooted in r&b, jazz, noise, and pop, using voice memos and manipulated samples as inspiration and source material. Cheek has toured internationally with her band in support of her second album, Fatigue, the Wire’s #1 album of 2021, and the #2 album in Pitchfork’s year end list. Fatigue also earned praise from outlets including The New York Times, NPR, The New Yorker, and Artforum. A frequent collaborator, she has worked with artists including Helado Negro; Okay, Kaya; Naama Tsabar; and Kevin Beasley. In addition to her work as an artist, Cheek is a curator. Most recently, she led performance programs at MoMA PS1. She also co-founded a DIY rehearsal and performance space in her neighborhood that primarily supports experimental music.
Peter Toussaint
Meet DJ Peter Piper, a dynamic open-format DJ with over 14 years of experience in themusic industry. He has performed at diverse venues including clubs, bars, weddings, and corporate events, always adapting to the crowd’s energy to create an incredible atmosphere. With an exceptional gift for knowing all the lyrics to every song he plays, he brings his sets to life by performing and dancing along with the music. Peter’s talent for seamless song transitions and selecting tracks that take the audience on a musical journey across genres and eras is unmatched. His infectious energy and natural showmanship make him a highly sought-after performer who connects with the crowd and elevates events with his music. If you’re looking for a DJ who will make your event unforgettable, DJ Peter Piper is the perfect choice.
CX KIDTRONIK
Grammy-considered musician / producer / DJ CX KIDTRONIK is a legend, and member of the German band Atari Teenage Riot that defined digital hardcore. “He’s a character,” says collaborator & Grammy/Oscar winner Trent Reznor. “He’s also one of those guys, when he’s around, things start to happen.” He embodies punk rock and hip-hop simultaneously and in almost equal measure. DJing & producing beats since 1985, CX KIDTRONIK has been DJing in New York City for 25 years, has played almost every continent on the planet, and has been credited as being one of the most eclectic DJ’s in the world. He has music out on Stones Throw Records, which is one of the most respected Hip-Hop labels.
Support
Lead support for High Line Art comes from Amanda and Don Mullen. Major support is provided by Shelley Fox Aarons and Philip E. Aarons, The Brown Foundation, Inc., and Charina Endowment Fund. Additional support is provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. High Line Art is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and from the Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council, under the leadership of Speaker Adrienne Adams, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
