83 ‘til Infinity

40 Years of Hip-Hop in the Ottawa–Gatineau Region - Summer 2024

83 ’Til Infinity explores the stories, movement, and lived experiences of hip-hop in the Ottawa–Gatineau region.

Rooted in decades of dialogue, the exhibition traces the craft and values behind hip-hop’s five pillars: breaking, emceeing, DJ-ing, graffiti, and knowledge. These are not trends, they are disciplines built on practice, respect, and transmission.

The work presented reflects creativity and innovation, but also something deeper: culture as community, activism, and justice. The materials shared for this exhibition reveal how hip-hop has always been a framework for expression and resistance locally and globally.

The journey begins with the Canadian Floor Masters (CFM), formed in 1983, a foundational force in the region’s breaking scene. From there, the exhibition moves through key events, artists, and tracks that have shaped the cultural landscape across generations.

This exhibition exists because of the people who built the culture, those who organized events, painted walls, spun records, battled on floors, passed knowledge forward, and held space.

July 8, 2023 - February 18, 2024

Curated by: Kevin Bourne (SHIFTER), Regatu Asefa (Carleton University) and Rachelle Dickenson (OAG)

ARTWORK: Jimmy Baptiste - MEDIUM: Procreate - YEAR 2024