NAOMI NDUBUEZE
Lagos is set to witness the first edition of the Lagos Biennial of contemporary art which is organized by the Akete Art Foundation from the 14th October to 22nd December 2017 in six different venues across Nigeria.
With the theme “Living on the Edge”, the biennial aims to showcase Lagos as a capital of art, hence placing Lagos as one of the art capital in Africa.
Talented artists from 20 different countries including Nigeria, Iran, South Korea, Ethiopia, Angola, Senegal, Greece, United Kingdom, Mozambique, Kenya, Norway, Afghanistan, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Ghana, Spain, Egypt, Russia, and France will be at the biennial to showcase their art pieces and the history behind the piece.
Folakunle Oshun, artistic director, Lagos Biennial disclosed that there has not been a major funding for the event. According to him, the only funds they have gotten is from international institutions who are paying for the flight and accommodation of artists from other countries and also funds from the contributions of artists and team members of biennial. “The city of Lagos and the whole Nigeria will be inviting artist from all over the world who will participate in this artistic and cultural event. We took cue from other art biennial across the country and we decided to bring it to Lagos. It is time for Lagos to not necessarily join the bandwagons but showcase what we are made, what it means to be a Lagosian and what it takes to exist in this phase. We are calling on artists everywhere to tell their stories on what it feels like to exist in the city of Lagos. There are lot of activities on that day. We have the book reading series on the city of Lagos and so many things to look forward to.”
Junachi Obi, honorary secretary, Legacy 1995 expressing her joy on the biennial said it is a great time to look at our culture and understand why things work the way they do. “We are glad to have the opportunity to work on the Lagos biennial project. We provide location facilities and also assist in helping out with spaces and other necessities but a big element of what we do is about culture and cultural preservation. The theme “Living on the Edge”, is a great time to our work. It is no brainer to get involve and we hope people get to understand what is in Lagos and take the time to understand the past, present and the future.”
One of the participating artists from Switzerland, Dunja Herzog said the biennial would give her an opportunity to know more about Lagos. “The biennial is very special and it is my first time. it feels like a new time something else is happening and all artists are all included, we speak together and we understand things together. I will look at history of the united trading company to look at the past we had together, so we can look together at the future. I am excited to be here to share this experience and get more knowledge about Nigeria artist.”
With the main aim of promoting the cultural, artistic and political values of Lagos to the rest of the world, biennial will hold once every two years in the city of Lagos at different locations.
The main exhibition will take place at the Running Shed of the Railway compound in Yaba, Lagos.
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