Awol Erizku for Open Flat File

Thursday, September 10, 2026, 6:30 - 9:30pm

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Picture of artist Awol Erizku on the right half of image. Awol is wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat. The text on the left half of the image reads: "Awol Erizku for Open Flat File, hosted by the Lubalin Center". Text on top reads September 10, 6:30pm

A lecture by the photographer and Cooper Union alumnus, Awol Erizku (A'10) about the drawings of Muhammad Ali, originally published in Avant Garde magazine in 1968.

This is the first talk in the Open Flat File lecture series. Ten designers, artists, and researchers were invited to select a single object from Herb Lubalin Center's archive to respond to. Lecturers have designed a commemorative poster that will distributed for free at the event.
 

Doors open at 6:30 PM. Talk starts at 7:00 PM and will be followed by a reception.

This event will be in-person in the Rose Auditorium at The Cooper Union and live-streamed on YouTube.

 

 

Registration on Eventbrite is required. However, an in-person Eventbrite ticket does not guarantee entry as this is a first-come-first-served free event.

About the series
This event is part of Open Flat File, a free 10-part lecture series held on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Herb Lubalin Study Center. Each lecturer was invited to select a single object from the collection to respond to through a free public talk and to design a poster about the object. The Open Flat File series will be staged during the 2026–2027 academic year.

This series is presented by MillerKnoll with support from Athletics and Gretel.

Located in the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, at 41 Cooper Square (on Third Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets)

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  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.