60 years of Motown.
The exhibition “DANCING IN THE STREET”, punctuated by unpublished documents between photographs, sound extracts and videos, offers a tailor-made tour at the heart of the MOTOWN adventure.
As the Rencontres d’Arles celebrates its 50th anniversary, this summer will also mark the 60th anniversary of MOTOWN. This mythical label, created in Detroit with only 800 US$ in 1959 by Berry Gordy Jr., has been one of the greatest adventures in international music.
Reinventing itself at each era, the “MOTOWN family” guided by its tutelary figures: Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, the Jackson 5,… will accompany for more than 30 years all the evolutions and mutations of African-American music, from the Soul Music of the early hours to the RnB of the 90’s.
The first hits would follow very quickly allowing this label to assert itself as one of the most successful African-American ventures in these times when civil rights remained yet to be conquered.
The exhibition is entitled DANCING IN THE STREET with reference to the song of Martha and the Vandellas, whose energy and positivism are in the image of the adventure of the label and in resistance to the political currents that the US government has been installing since Donald Trump election.
Curators : Nicolas HAVETTE & Madj
Consultant : Adam WHITE
Partners : Universal Music Group, ChromaLuxe
Hey! What’s Going On?
from July 1st to September 22nd 2019
Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation
18 rue de la Calade, Arles
