www.tupacproject.it

Paolo Chiasera’s “www.tupacproject.it” (2002) commemorates African-American rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur, who was killed by unknown shooters in 1996. While the hip-hop legend had been convicted of various crimes, he was also socially active and admired by young people. By erecting a statue of him, Chiasera created the only monument to a black man in Germany.

At the same time, he examines the function of public monuments and questions the social consensus behind their construction. By highlighting the idol of a youth subculture, he raises the question of the selection, meaning and function of such role models for contemporary and historical (youth) cultures.