Artists Mean Business: Episode 24 with Faheem Majeed

Artists Mean Business

In Episode 24 I sit down Faheem Majeed, educator, builder, and community engaged artist. Majeed's work does more than explore the material world through the built environment; it challenges our relationships to it. Yet, were it not for his varied - and admittedly, circuitous career path - his work might lack the interdisciplinarity that critic Patrica Phillips suggests "is not simply an indiscriminate amalgamation of conventions from different fields, but a faceted way of looking at the formation of knowledge and the public realm". In this deep-dive conversation, Faheem revisits some of his "sweetest mistakes" and how sometimes, letting the thing fall apart, just might be part of the process. Here, he offers his own take on failing-forward, "Read the biographies of those who have not simply been plucked". In this statement, Majeed suggests that we not simply look at how far an artist has come, but rather, the many destinations he or she has been. The interview ends on a rather prolific note, quoting fellow Chicagoan and artist-mentor, Kerry James Marshall, "Your actions need to speak to your goals". Marinate on that!3 chances to see Faheem Majeed's work1) Visit the MCA Chicago to experience Faheem's first solo museum exhibition, "Works" (through August 16, 2015).2) MCA Studio: Thēarē Group (Fri, Jun 12, 2015, 10am–5 pm)3) MCA Talk: LaShana Jackson and Faheem Majeed (Sun, Aug 16, 2015, 3–4pm)