A museum honoring the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur titled ‘Wake Me When I’m Free’ is set to open, ABC News reports.
The Shakur Estate announced on Tuesday that the exhibit will open on Jan. 21 in Los Angeles. The exhibit is described as a “fully immersive, thought-provoking museum experience that explores the life and legacy of the late rapper.”
According to reports, the 20,000-square foot exhibit will showcase Shakur’s poetry, wardrobe, music, activism journey, and other items in galleries.
Arron Saxe, president of Kinfolk Management + Media, who is working in partnership with Shakur’s estate, spoke about curating the exhibit.
“There are thousands of pieces of paper, handwritten pieces of paper—which is everything from his lyrics to all of the songs and poetry that you know down to a grocery list for a birthday party,” Saxe said.
“The whole point of this exhibit was to not only show the kaleidoscopic nature of Tupac but also show how he is relatable,” Saxe continued. “There are incredible pieces of clothing. This exhibit is also a mix of contemporary art and technology too. Many of the artifacts have never been seen before.”
One of the galleries will be dedicated to the rapper’s late mother, Afeni Shakur, a former Black Panther and her son’s main inspiration, who passed away in 2016.
Saxe also noted that Afeni Shakur is the “guiding light” of the exhibition.
“Afeni was the baddest Black woman to walk the planet,” Jamal Joseph, Tupac’sgodfather and special advisor to the estate said in a statement. “She raised awareness and shifted the atmosphere wherever she went. Tupac’s brilliance shined brighter than the sun. He lived and moved with creative—revolutionary—fearless-passion-fueled speed of a comet. Afeni and Pac challenged, re-imagined, and transformed history.”
Jeremy Hodges, whose firm, Project Art Collective, has teamed with The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on the creative portion of the exhibit, shared Tupac’s influence upon him and society.
“Tupac Shakur was my Malcolm; he was my Martin, and to build an experience that honors such a prolific man, cannot be summed up in words,” Hodges said. “We wanted to create a memorable experience that will inspire you to be better than when you walked in, all while leaving you with the knowledge that he was a true revolutionary spirit.”
The exhibit is expected to spend six months in Los Angeles with the hopes of touring other cities.
