Radical Vertical

The Real
McCoy
“People are
best in
photographs
when they are
really true to
who they are.”
- Chi Modu
Chi’s most recent project began in August 2013, when
massive images of his started appearing on the exterior
walls of select NYC buildings, as part of an ongoing
installation called Uncategorized.
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According to Modu, “The art world tends
to be very exclusive and full of obstacles for both the 5
artists and the public. My goal is to make art more
inclusive by pulling an end run on the galleries and the
museums, breaking down the barriers, and bringing the art
directly to the people. Like graffiti, but legal.”
As to why he calls the exhibit Uncategorized—
“People always want to put art and artists into neat little
boxes. My work does not fit into any one stereotype
and neither do I. I wanted to create something that is
the opposite of putting labels on everything and make a
statement against stereotyping in general. I don’t see this
as just an exhibit. I want to start a movement.”
Chi Modu not only chronicled and defined
the most important phase of the hip hop movement,
now a global force, he was also able to define the artists
and show them as real people, rather than onedimensional
celebrities.
I met Chi on the occasion of the opening of
his exhibit UNCATEGORIZED at HVW8, Berlin. Alongside
images of hip-hop royalty including Tupac, Biggie, Nas
and ODB, the show also features previously unseen gems
from Chi’s photographic archive. To learn more about the
man behind the lens of such iconic images of those hip hop
legends, we took the chance to ask a couple of questions.
THE REAL MCCOY