Bishop Museum is partnering with World Wide Walls to present “Under/Ground,” a new exhibit coming next month that explores the conditions that gave rise to modern street art and hip-hop culture.
The exhibit, which features a full-scale subway station with a life-sized car that visitors can step into and explore, opens on Saturday, Nov. 21, in the Castle Memorial Building. The platform is surrounded by signs of urban life: a convenience store, noodle shop and newsstands — all layered in graffiti. There will also be alley-like paths to galleries filled with murals, sculptures and other original art.
The grand opening celebration will also include vendors from Art + Flea, plus opportunities to buy food. “Under/Ground” is co-curated by Jasper and Amy Wong of World Wide Walls and designed by DeAnne Kennedy, exhibit designer for Bishop Museum. The special exhibit features 38 artists.
“Museums can sometimes feel intimidating or inaccessible to people, but that has never been our experience with Bishop Museum,” said Jasper Wong, World Wide Walls founder and co-director, in a written statement. “It’s always been an incredibly welcoming institution that embraces the community and creates opportunities to celebrate both their creativity and their cultural heritage.”
Tickets are $10 online or $15 at the door. Admission is free for museum members.
“Under/Ground” looks at how artists found ways for expression outside of galleries and concert halls through rap, DJing and breakdancing. The exhibit will include large-scale murals that feature global artists, such as Insane51, Simone Legno of Tokidoki, 123KLAN, INSA and more, plus local ones, including Kris Goto and Edwin Ushiro. Sculptures created by Tristan Eaton, KOLA PDW, Jay Howell, Katch, Jason Keam, and OG Slick will also be part of the art on display.
Previously, World Wide Walls held an exhibit at Bishop Museum in 2021, which showcased more than 160 artists, including 30 who created new murals and installations.
World Wide Walls, formerly Pow! Wow! Worldwide, was established by the Wongs in Hong Kong in 2009 and today, is a global network of artists that runs events focused on murals, and street and contemporary art. One year later, Pow! Wow! Hawaiʻi was created and has since run as an annual art festival that brings artists together to create vibrant murals across Honolulu.
The museum's Castle Memorial Building was recently home to another special exhibit, “Aloha Bricks ʻ26: Stories of Hawaiʻi,” a partnership between the museum and Hawaiʻi Lego Users Group, which brought to life models of Hōkūleʻa, Hawaiian Airlines planes, ʻIolani Palace, Hawaiʻi Theatre, the USS Arizona Memorial and Bowfin Submarine, and native plants and animals, made entirely with Lego bricks. Plan a visit here.
Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
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