Doors open: 13:30
Start: 14:00
The conversation will be held in english
This conversation is linked to the opening of Arif at MUNCH, showing on the 9th floor of the museum from August 31st to December 1st 2024. We recommend visiting this immersive experience before the talk.
Arif at MUNCH is a unique fusion of music, film and art, inspired by Edvard Munch’s work. Arif and the internationally acclaimed film makers Andrew Thomas Huang and Wukda will discuss how they created a form of expression which both opens a space for community and pushes new artistic boundaries.
Welcome to a talk exploring the power of creative collaboration and the importance of inclusion and community.
Arif is one of Norway’s leading rappers and R&B artists, known for his ability to communicate deep personal experiences and their wider social relevance through his music. Andrew Thomas Huang is a visionary film maker from the US with a Chinese background, known for his imaginative and groundbreaking music videos and short films.
Wukda is a British film maker who takes inspiration from art, music and his own life in order to explore human nature in his films.
The conversation will be moderated by Awo Mahamoud Abdulqadir, Head of MUNCH Ung, known for her work in engaging young adults in art and culture.
Curator of Arif at MUNCH, Nikita Mathias, will give an introduction to the talk. He is an art historian, and as a concept developer at MUNCH his work focuses on innovative and engaging art interpretation projects.
Bio Arif: ‘Few, if any, have defined the past decade’s Norwegian rap and R&B scene as much as Arif’ (VG newspaper). Arif has come a long way. Growing up in the Oslo suburbs of Skullerud and Bogerud as the son of parents who had emigrated from Zanzibar, he experienced racism and poverty, but also care and fellowship. In 2024 he won the Spellemann prize for Best Hiphop. Making music has been his way of discovering and expressing himself. In his tracks Arif shares his experiences of joy and pain, love and depression, friendship and conflict.
As well as being a musician, Arif has also worked as a writer and actor. He has also involved himself in various social projects in order to give young people in Oslo the possibility of making a positive change in their lives.
Bio Andrew Thomas Huang: Writer-director Andrew Thomas Huang crafts hybrid fantasy worlds and mythical dreamscapes. He is a Grammy-nominated music video director who has collaborated with artists including Björk, FKA Twigs and Thom Yorke. His films have been commissioned by and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, NYC, Sydney Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art, LA.
Huang also directs for film and TV, including an episode of Random Acts of Flyness on HBO. Inspired by his Chinese heritage, queer Asian mythology and folklore, Huang is currently developing his feature film Tiger Girl. Huang graduated with a degree in Fine Art and Animation from the University of Southern California.
Bio Wukda: Wukda is a film director and photographer who draws inspiration from art, music and life experiences to construct stories about human nature.
After studying Fine Arts, Wukda started to film his dancer friends for fun, which led to working on music videos and branded content where he developed his style of beautiful framing, dynamic camera movement and engaging performances.
During lockdown, Wukda wrote two experimental films that allowed him to develop his voice and a style of highly thought-provoking work. Can We Talk and War Within both received widespread acclaim. Wukda is currently working on his debut short film.
Arif at MUNCH is an immersive experience combining new music by Arif with film, lighting design, scent, and interactivity. It includes a full programme of events and workshops inside the community space. Click here for more information.
