Die Kunst der Wahlfamilie
Mike D, co-founder of the Beastie Boys, has co-curated an exhibition titled "Mishpocha. The Art of Collaboration" at the Jewish Museum Frankfurt. The show explores the concept of family beyond biological ties, featuring works such as Ira Eduardovna's video installation "The Library Room," which depicts a family packing for emigration, and immersive audiovisual spaces evoking techno, hip-hop, punk, and Riot Grrrl subcultures. The exhibition includes contributions from artist Jan Ove Hennig, photographer Jan Zappner, design studio Atelier Markgraph, and hospitality group Ima Clique, with Mike D serving as artistic director and ambassador.
The exhibition matters because it reframes the idea of family as an active, chosen community of like-minded individuals, linking Jewish diaspora experiences with broader themes of migration, subculture, and artistic collaboration. By bringing a globally recognized musician like Mike D into a museum context, the show bridges popular culture and institutional art, potentially attracting new audiences to the Jewish Museum Frankfurt while sparking dialogue about identity, belonging, and self-determination in contemporary art.