I know that JAY-Z is an art collector, and his in-ness with art world types has been well-documented (see “Picasso Baby”). The enshrinement of an image, especially something as ubiquitous as the Mona Lisa, can be dangerous, as it strips the work of art of its multivalent interpretations and only uses it as a sign that essentially reads: status. Another uneasy response was immediately thinking of those memes of Puff Daddy standing in front of the Mona Lisa, etc. Art was being used to signify status with no meaning outside of cultural capital and luxury. It's not the responsibility of the artists featured nor the director to give each painting its proper due, but I did feel like the art was only being used as a backdrop in this case. Now, obviously JAY-Z and Beyoncé looking at art at the museum would be a really boring music video (though I would love to be a fly on the wall to overhear their conversation about the Mona Lisa). Art is not merely a photo-op, and posing in front of art is reducing it to a backdrop. People photograph everything, look but don't see, understanding very little of context. My second thought, and I'm not proud of this, was, ruefully "cool, more museum selfies." One of my pet peeves is, in spite of how many visitors there are in museums, how little time people actually spend looking at the art. I'm less sure about this current project. The relationship between Julie Dash and Arthur Jafa's Daughters of the Dust and Beyoncé's Lemonade was, to my mind, a brilliant way to incorporate art in a music video, elevating the music and, in some ways, highlighting the artistic inspiration. The video itself is gorgeously shot, and does show a continued interest in art on behalf of the artists, JAY-Z and Beyoncé, to engage with art (notable precursors being JAY-Z's "Picasso Baby," and Beyoncé's use of David Hammons and Richard Prince in “7/11”). My first reaction, was being thrilled that art was being featured in a music video at all. During this visit, an iconic photo was taken of them standing in front of the Mona Lisa, which was effectively recreated at the end of the "Apes**t" video.ĭirected by Ricky Saiz, "Apes**t" offers a different look at the inside of the Louvre, featuring famous artworks such as the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Great Sphinx of Tanis.First of all, what were your initial reactions to the “APESHIT” video? The Carters visited the Louvre in 2014 for a private Tuesday viewing, the only day the museum is closed to the public. If The Carters had a crew of more than 50 people working on the video, that alone would have cost them $21,000.Ī private tour for less than 50 guests costs up to $11,700, according to the Louvre's private events brochure, and renting out the reception hall beneath the famous Glass Pyramid will cost upwards of $36,000. However, a music video that includes both the Louvre's interior and exterior areas would cost $5,300. The combined cost to film both the exterior and interior of the museum for a feature film would cost $18,000, according to the Louvre's website. The most recent films include Fifty Shades Freed and Wonder Woman. Nearly 500 movies and music videos are filmed at the Louvre every year, the New York Timesreported on June 17. When Beyoncé and Jay Z released "Apes**t" on June 16 under their duo name The Carters, they filmed the music video in the world's largest art museum, The Louvre.
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