Vinod Hopson is an artist and storyteller. His project, Those Who Desire, is a project exploring the lost, often difficult histories of the city of Houston through performance and cartography. His walking tours subvert a commercial tourist platform, the history tour, by presenting alternative narratives that take a contemporary and critical look at canonized stories. The histories are primarily centered in and around BIPOC communities, and have a resonance today, often reflecting modern concerns that dominate contemporary news cycles. Well-researched, and presented on the original sites, the performances become living, real-time, cultural studies, and critical thinking courses, that ask participants to confront the past, and its implications today. He firmly believes this leads to a more fully understood and appreciated concept of the city. Vinod Hopson was the recipient of a 2016 Idea Fund Grant for Those Who Desire. He was born in New Jersey and has lived in Houston since 1996. He lives with his wife and small daughter, two native Houstonians.
