To commemorate the station’s 40th-anniversary, MTV has partnered with artist, Kehinde Wiley, to reimagine the iconic Moon Person trophy. He is the third person to do so, joining KAWS who was the first in 2013 and Jeremy Scott in 2015.
Kehinde Wiley is globally recognized for his naturalistic portraiture that depicts Black subjects against backdrops of varying art historical settings. His illustrious Obama Portraits, which were commissioned by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, has been on a five city tour — from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum and LACMA, to the High Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
MTV told Rolling Stone: “The design features botanical vines seamlessly flowing up and around the figure’s legs, body, and arms as a commentary on the ethnic histories that surround America. Each intertwined vine or leaf has a different historical relevance, such as the seeds from African slaves, that are woven into the American tapestry. The sculpture complements Wiley’s forthcoming series of portraits, in which he plans to create paintings featuring his subjects lying on their sides as vines encircle their bodies.”
In addition to the trophy, there will be a life-size replica that will be on view for guests at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The latest MTV trophy will be awarded at this years Video Music Awards on September 12th.
Elsewhere in art, Genesis Belanger has unveiled her first show in Asia at Perrotin Tokyo.
