Lauren Halsey Transforms Hollywood Bowl with Erykah Badu for 'Funk Opera' Debut
On Tuesday night, Lauren Halsey made history as the first fine artist to transform the Hollywood Bowl with her event, emajendat. This occasion featured a performance by Erykah Badu set against a backdrop of a modular arrangement of handcrafted objects. The event showcased DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak), Flea, Charles Gaines, and dancers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Halsey's creative takeover included elements like sculpture, roller skating, and miniature golf. A total of 680 boxes were adorned with custom Agolde tablecloths, and 470 staff members donned shirts designed by Halsey. The night concluded with a spectacular display of fireworks and lasers. Halsey referred to the event as a 'funk opera' and a 'prototype' for future projects, building on her previous work, sister dreamer, in South Central.
Key facts
- Lauren Halsey transformed the Hollywood Bowl into a 'funk opera' on Tuesday night, marking the first time a fine artist fully reimagined the venue.
- Erykah Badu headlined the event, performing inside a modular set built from hundreds of handmade objects by Halsey and her team.
- The bill included Anderson .Paak as DJ Pee .Wee, Flea, Charles Gaines, and dancers from Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
- The Bowl grounds were activated with sculpture, roller skating, miniature golf, basketball, airbrushing, and ping-pong.
- Custom Agolde tablecloths covered roughly 680 boxes, 470 Bowl workers wore Halsey-designed Agolde shirts, and stagehands wore foil jumpsuits and sculptural wigs.
- Halsey described the project as a 'proof of concept' or 'prototype' that she plans to evolve and scale in future years.
- The concept emajendat was first realized on a large scale at London's Serpentine South Gallery in 2024.
- Badu was already on tour supporting her collaborative album Before the World Blows with The Alchemist when Halsey approached her.
Entities
Artists
- Lauren Halsey
- Erykah Badu
- Anderson .Paak
- DJ Pee .Wee
- Flea
- Charles Gaines
- George Clinton
- The Alchemist
- Debbie Allen
Institutions
- Hollywood Bowl
- Serpentine South Gallery
- LA Phil
- Summaeverythang Community Center
- Debbie Allen Dance Academy
- Agolde
- Parliament-Funkadelic
- Vogue
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- South Central LA
- Santa Monica
- Hollywood Bowl