INTERIORS Goes Behind the Design of the Yeezus Tour

Despite being in the news for various statements and business deals, Kanye West and his team know how to put a performance together. Any audience member at one of the Yeezus live performances would attest that the artist transformed their arena into the rap equivalent of an opera hall, creating an innovative and gripping concert experience for attendees. The praise has traveled outside of the music world, even, with ArchDaily and architecture journal INTERIORS examining the inspiration behind Yeezus‘ complex set design. Uncovering every inspiration – from vintage film to Xbox Kinect – this brief read gives an in-depth account of one of the year’s most affecting shows. Read the full version here, while a key excerpt can be found below.

The influence from The Holy Mountain, however, is more thematic than visual. The film, much like the show, is an experience and asserts its focus on a biblical redemption story; similarly, Kanye West’s show is focused on a similar journey, one of self-realization and self-discovery, as evidenced through the five chapters of the show: Fighting, Rising, Falling, Searching and Finding. These chapters are used to separate the set list and also as a slight break for wardrobe changes.