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Music

Behind-the-Scenes of a New Exhibition Celebrating the Life of Frankie Knuckles

Chicago artist Theaster Gates gives us a tour of his thought-provoking Canadian show "How To Build a House Museum."
Photo courtesy of Daily VICE

What's the best way of remembering the legacy of an important person? That's the primary question behind "How To Build a House Museum," a new exhibition by Chicago multidisciplinary artist Theaster Gates, which explores notions of blackness, freedom, and the history of house music. While the show looks at the histories of African-American figures like blues legend Muddy Waters and sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois, the central focus is the life and work of American house pioneer Frankie Knuckles, who passed away in 2014.

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The exhibition features multiple artifacts owned by the late Chicago DJ and producer, including his ball cap collection and reel-to-reel player. It's currently running at Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario until Oct. 30, so we sent Daily VICE to talk to Theaster about Knuckles' impact on music, the importance of preserving African-American culture, and police violence in the United States past and present.

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