Art auction: Anatsui, Grillo rescue declining sales

By Tajudeen Sowole
Gradually, the local art market is giving Nsukka, Nigeria-based Ghanaian artist, El Anatsui, 68, the due respect his art enjoys at the international level, so suggest the results of a just concluded Lagos art auction.

ANATSUI'S Grandma’s Cloth Series VI (Oil on wooden panels, 132 x 262 cm.), lifted ArtHouse Contemporary’s ninth auction as the work was sold for N11.4 million, hammer price at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Lagos. It was estimated to sell for N8-10 million.

On a night when the sales appeared to be heading for a decline, Yusuf Grillo’s painting, Sango Worshipper (Oil on board 122 x 56 cm., 1961) estimated to fetch N7.5 -8.5 million added strength to the auction as it was sold for N7.4 million.

For Grillo, 78, it was a bounce-back four years after his Blue Moon (Oil on Board60 x 60 cm, 1966,) was bought for N8.8m and emerged as the highest sold at the second edition of the auction house’s sales in 2008. On a better day, Sango Worshippers could sell for higher value given the rare qualities of the painting: it’s red dominant, brightened by the buba, iro and gele fashion of the figure, which is a high contrast to the usual bluish toning of the artist’s work.

El Anasui's Grandma’s Cloth Series VI (Oil on wooden panels, 132 x 262 cm.)

The results of the auction give Anatsui his biggest auction record in Nigeria. The artist’s woven tapestry of flattened bottle caps, titled New World Map  (350x500cm) sold for £541, 250 at the last Bonhams’ Africa Now London auction held in May this year. It should be recalled that Anatsui’s first top of the sales at an auction in Nigeria was recorded during the Terra Kulture sales tagged Golden Jubilee Art Auction 2010 organized in partnership with Nimbus. His wood panel, lot 72, Time Window (147 x 61 cm, 2006) sold for N3.8 million.

And quite an impressive boost for photography came from George Osodi’s painterly photographic print on aluminum Eyo (C-print 120 x 179 cm. 2007) sold for N1.2m at the ninth ArtHouse auction. It’s arguably, the biggest sale a photography piece ever recorded at an auction in Nigeria. Performance of Osodi’s Eyo at the auction further challenges a section of Nigerian critics that always insists that the theme has been “too repetitive” by artists.

Since 2008 when it first made its debut on the Nigerian art market, unearthing the high value in African art, ArtHouse has been expanding the scope of the auction to more artists. In its ninth edition and sponsored by Renaissance Capital, the auction house has again stressed its commitment to keep featuring new entries for every edition. Over 15 debutants featured at the auction. Some the auction’s new debutants included Adebesin Adedamola, Alimi Adewale, Abiola Akintola, Benedict Olorunnisomo,  Chika Okeke-Agulu, Chike Obeagu, Dotun Adegbite, John Nosireme-Thomas, Lanre Ayoade, Lucy Azubuike, Billy Omabegho , Osagie Aimufia, Raqib Bashorun, Segun Ayesan, Tolu Aliki, Uche Okpa-Iroha and Wande George.

Among the debutants Akintola , 52, and a veteran designer, Omabegho, 60, made an impressive sale at N2m and N1.3m respectively. And quite a number of sales such as Kolade Oshinowo’s Prayer Time, Rom Isichei’s Rhythm Of The Season and just a few others doused anxiety as regulars and a few other hopefuls were returned unsold.

While official figure of the percentage sold from the total 111 lots were being awaited as at press time, there were indications that despite lack of higher number of large sales, the unsold may just be as minimal as less than 10 percent.

With the partnership, the sponsor of the auction Renaissance Capital – a member of the global firm, Renaissance Group – has stressed its support for Nigerian art. It should be recalled that a few months ago, Renaissance Capital sponsored a group art exhibition titled Fresh Vernacular, which focused on young artists doing new things.

Yusuf Grillo's rare painting

    Sango Worshipper (Oil on board

   122 x 56 cm. 1961)

Renaissance Capital, a leading investment bank focused on emerging markets (EM) and Africa, and has a presence in 20 countries, six of them in Africa. The firm’s global distribution of equity and debt securities and research is managed from London, New York, Moscow and Hong Kong. 

And it was not just about art mega sales for the ArtHouse and Renaissance partnership, but a sharing via charity as a part of the auction was dedicated to Ayodele Jegede Foundation. Four drawings and a painting were sold to raise funds in support of the foundation’s scholarship scheme.

One more auction early next year and ArtHouse would expectedly make it 10. So far, every outing since 2008 has brought its own uniqueness. For the ninth, it was a shift from the regular masters such as Ben Enwonwu, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Demas Nwoko. More importantly, Osodi’s Eyo strengthened the uniqueness of this edition.

Ahead of the auction, manager and specialist at ArtHouse, Nana Sonoiki had hoped for a successful outing, perhaps based on the last auction. She recalled that the previous auction held early this year recorded a total sale – including the buyer’s premium – of N106 million ($132,000).”

A total of and 97 out of 116 lots, representing 84% were sold, she added. During the auction Nwoko’s painting, Praise Singer, (1961), oil on board, 91.4 x 122 cm. was sold to a telephone bidder at N7m during Arthouse Contemporary’s eighth art auction held last April. It was a distance from Ben Enwonwu’s N28 million (£125, 000) sale of a sculpture, Anyanwu (142.2 cm., excluding the base, 1956) at the ArtHouse’s seventh edition, last year November.

The top 10 from 111 lots of the ninth ArtHouse auction (Hammer price).

 1. El Anatsui (b.1944)

   Grandma’s Cloth Series VI

   (Oil on wooden panels

   132 x 262 cm. 1992) N11.4 million

2. Yusuf Grillo (b. 1934)

    Sango Worshipper (Oil on board

   122 x 56 cm. 1961) N7.4 million.

3. Ehrabor Emokpae (1934-1984)
     Dancing Faces

    (Oil on board 82 x 57 cm. 1969) N3.2m
4. Bruce Onobrakpeya (b. 1932)

    Edokpa (Copper foil repoussé

    on board 1983-1985) N3m

    Ben Enwonwu (1917-1994)

   Agbowomowo (Oil on board

   84 x 54 cm. 1979) N3m.

5. Amon Kotei (b.1915-2011)
    Untitled (Oil on canvas 151 x 80 cm) N2.5m

    Ben Enwonwu (b.1917-1994)

    Remi (Bronze cold cast 23 cm. 1977) N2.5m

6. Demas Nwoko (b.1935)
    Indian Girl In Sari

    (Oil on paper 51 x 74 cm1965) N2m

    Uche Okeke (B.1933)
    March Of Masquerades

    (Charcoal 30.5 x 84 cm 1974.) N2m

    Abiola Akintola (B.1960)
     Believe In Yourself (Stainless steel 78 cm 2011) N2m

7. Okpu Eze (b.1932-1995)
    Fertility Figure  (Wood  25 cm 1984) N1.8m

    Kolade Oshinowo (b.1948)

   Prayer Time (Mixed media on canvas

   117 x 40 cm. 2012) N1.8m

   Abiodun Olaku (b.1958)

   Evening Enterprise

   (Oil on canvas 76 x 92 cm. 2008) N1.8m

   Rom Isichei (b.1966)

    Rhythm Of The Season (Mixed media on canvas

    140 x 255 cm. 2012) N1.8m

8. Peju Alatise (b.1975)

    Aso-Bora (Mixed media on canvas

   229 x 122 cm. 2012) N1.6m

9. Ben Enwonwu (b.1917-1994)
    Portrait Of A Black Boy

    (Watercolour, ink on card board
    42 x 27 cm) N1.5m

    Ben Osawe (b. 1931-2007)

    Untitled (Wood 22 cm. 48 in. 1993) N1.5m.

10. Billy Omabegho (b.1953)
       Homage V (Aluminium & bronze 2011) N1.3m
       Edosa Ogiugo (b.1961)

      Exchange Centre (Oil on canvas

      120 x 182 cm. 2007) N1.3m
      Alex Nwokolo (b.1963)
      Guatanamo Bay  ( Mixed media on board
     122 x 274 cm 2012) N1.3m

‘Mo Yan as Nobel Laureate in Literature is a catastrophe’

Winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature, Herta Mueller, has been quoted as saying the choice to give the 2012 award to Mo Yan is a "catastrophe".

Mueller, according to her interview, published few days ago in Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter, says giving Mo Yan the award should never have happened. She accuses the Chinese writer of supporting China’s unpopular censorship laws.

Herta Mueller.

Mueller, a Romanian-born author says she nearly shed tears when the award was given to Mo Yan. She described the 2012 award: "it's a catastrophe… incredibly upsetting." Mueller was also a victim of censorship under dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Mo Yan is a Communist Party member and vice president of China’s official writers association.

'There Was A Country'... Chimamanda Adichie's own 'brashness'

In her analysis of the ongoing debate over Chinua Achebe’s memoir, There Was A Country, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie noted that Achebe’s book was not well edited and lacked details.

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Widely published in Nigeria’s national dailies, yesterday, Sunday November 25, 2012, Adichie’s contribution to the debate on There Was A Country, indeed, was not a critique of Achebe’s work, in the literary context. However, a part of her observations, in just one sentence appears very weighty. Adichie wrote: “I wish There Was A Country had been better edited and more rigorously detailed in its account of the war.”

Irrespective of the potency of Adichie’s observation on the technicalities of Achebe’s book, one may ask: what has the “flaws” got to do with the issue raised in the book or her contribution to the debate? Adichie seemed to have a preemptive answer when she added: “But these flaws do not make it any less seminal: an account of the most important event in Nigeria’s history by Nigeria’s most important storyteller.”

I think it was therefore absolutely unnecessary to mention the “flaws”, except Adichie, a recipient of Orange Prize for Fiction (2004), covertly, wanted to prove a point in literary knowledge. Couldn’t she have mentioned her observation, in private to Achebe rather than to the public, and the international space of the Internet?

Later in the article, she agreed with Achebe that “Igbo themselves were insensitive to” widely accepted views of “brashness that is part of Igbo culture….” Although she described him (Achebe) as “my literary hero”, I think Adichie has her own share of “brashness” by bringing the “flaws” of a revered writer of Achebe’s status to the public.  

Consequences lifts Nwagbogu high

BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE

FROM a controversial start of ‘no prize’ four years ago, the Azu Nwagbogu-led African Artists Foundation’s (AAF) national art competition has become a most eagerly awaited contest on the scene.

In fact, since the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA) chided AAF for the absence of prize in the debut edition tagged, The Unbreakable Nigerian Spirits, the last three editions has raised the bar in art competitions.

And as the stake gets higher, so is the process of assessing contestants. Each edition comes with increasing challenges. For example, it would have been a blind-juried decision if the massive installation of Chinenye Miriam Emelogu was not listed among the top three winners at the 2012 edition titled Consequences.

A Section of Emelogu's massive installation, Human Hive

Aside from the size of Emelogu’s Human Hive, which took a chunk of The Civic Centre’s floor, the work appeared like one of he very few installations, seen in Nigerian art scene so far that exudes aesthetics and qualitative discourse. Most installation art here here hiding under so-called 'intellectuality' and context but often fall short of aesthetic value. It was, therefore, not surprising when Emelogu’s Human Hive was announced as the winner of the competition, a prize worth N2 million.

Works of the second placed Alafuro Sikoki and the joint presentation from Omoligho Omoye Udenta and Affiko Obadina, which came third, also got the jury on the safe side of the audience.

With a cash prize of N1.5 million for Sikoki and N1million for Udenta and her partner Obadina, the Nigeria Breweries-sponsored event seems to be luring artists to explore the limit of their skills.   

However, if conceptuality were the focus, Udenta and Obadina’s Oil, Tears and Blood should have won the top prize. In bringing the theme to fruition, the work, also an installation, takes its strength from the sculptural rendition of oil as a drop of trouble in a green environment.

Last year, the top prize went to a joint installation work by Uche Uzorka and Chike Obeago after beating 11 other participants in the edition tagged, Documenting Changes in our Nation. Mural size mixed media work of Gerard Chukwuma and an assemblage in photography by Olayinka Sangotoye won the second and third prizes in that order.

  

NWAGBOGU-led art competition, apparently, has been encrypted in Nigeria’s art scene after it debuted in 2008. And from one edition to the other, choice of themes and format of execution brings challenges to participants.

Nwagbogu says the 2012 edition “saw a record number of strong, conceptually-driven entries concerning the theme, Consequences.

The grand finale was a battle fought by other nine finalists: George Emeka Agbo, Emmanuel Dudu, Joseph Eze, Pris Nzimiro, Francis Umendu Odupute, Zemaye Okediji, Maie Okafor, Folakunle Oshun and the duo Papa Omotayo and Folarin Shasanya.”

Azu Nwagbogu

He notes that with so much tension across the country and instability threatening creativity, the best a society should give artists is an environment for ventilation. Based on this, the 2012 edition, he explains “is dedicated to supporting artists who reflect on the consequences of our actions in Nigeria of today.”

And there seems to be a similarity between the theme and format of the competition: emphasis on the processes of creating the finalists’ works and the consequences focus of the central theme.

 Nwagbogu argues that the whole concept reflects on AAF’s focus on artistic processes, an agenda, which will be rigorously pursued in the coming years with the theme “Process to Product”.

 

How Zikist, Lasekan engaged colonialists through art

By Tajudeen Sowole

 ASIDE being a pioneer art educator and cartoonist, Akinola Lasekan (1916-1972) had shown the way on how art could play a strong role in nation building as his work strengthened the nationalist movement during Nigeria’s pre-independence struggle.

This much was distilled from a symposium and art exhibition in his honour. Tagged His Life, Works and Contributions to the Development of Contemporary Nigerian Art, and organized by the artist’s family at Terra Kulture, Victoria Island, Lagos few days ago, the event also exposed inadequate preservation and documentation of the master’s works.

Little was known of Lasekan’s art beyond political cartooning until the last three to four years when art auctions in Lagos, particularly from the stable of ArtHouse Contemporary, started featuring some portraitures by the artist.

Also, prior to the symposium and exhibition, much of the documentations on Lasekan celebrated an artist whose cartoons – under the then popular signature 'Lash' – thrived in post-colonial political scene, most of which were seen as missiles against the opponents of Nnamidi Azikiwe (1904 -1996). However, the lecture delivered by Prof. Ola Oloidi at the opening of the event showed that the artist was a strong partner in the nationalist movement against colonial rule.

Noting that the artist has not been celebrated since his demise 40 years ago, Oloidi, a professor of Art History and Art Criticism, University of Nigeria (UNN) Nsukka, described Lasekan’s art as “unrivalled.” He argued that the artist, who was a cartoonist working for Azikiwe’s West African Pilot, during the struggle for Nigeria’s independence, shared the same activism mentality with his employer. In fact, Oloidi disclosed “there was hardly any editorial policy of the West African Pilot made without Lasekan’s input.” The newspaper’s cartoon contents, he stressed, was a leading voice against colonial rule.

Oloidi’s research also traced the artist’s Africanism character to his youth years, while growing up in his hometown Ipele, Owo (now in Ondo State). According to the art historian, Lasekan dropped ‘Samuel’ from his name “because he felt it was a slave name, and more disturbing, it was Yorubalised as ‘Saamu.” 

 

AS much as the family of Lasekan should be commended for bringing back the memory of the Zikist artist, the presentation of the exhibition appeared like an indictment on the poor attitude of Nigerians towards art collection and preservation. Some of the works on display were prints, poorly reproduced from what looked like Internet or third generation copies of the original.

Some art sources said about eight works of Lasekan were donated to the government during the 2^nd World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC ’77) event. According to family spokesperson Mrs. Olusola Dublin-Green, only two of the works were recovered as loans from the National Gallery of Art (NGA). During preparation for the exhibition, it was learnt that six works of Lasekan from the eight donated for FESTAC 77 were found missing from NGA collection.

 

SPEAKING on the importance of art and culture to the development of Nigeria’s economy, chairman of the symposium and exhibition, Omooba Yemisi Shyllon warned that dependence on oil is not sustainable. He disclosed that Nigeria’s largest buyer of crude oil, the U.S. will no longer import from any part of the world in the next 10 to 23 years.”

He therefore urged every stakeholder in the art and culture sector to develop and preserve Nigeria’s art, which he stressed, is vital to tourism to boost alternative revenue generation. 

In his contribution, one of the discussants at the symposium, Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya also noted the dismal state of preservation of contemporary Nigerian art. He, for example, drew the attention of the gathering to a leaking roof of the National Theatre’s art gallery, which allegedly “destroyed some of the national collection.” He however argued, “the conservation of our contemporary artworks, particularly of the masters, should not only be the job of the government, but also those of individuals around the artists and communities.”

On the contribution of Lasekan to Nigeria’s independence, Onobrakpeya noted: “Lasekan’s cartoons condemned the injustice of colonialism in Africa, he should therefore share the honour of our freedom with great politicians like Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo, Jomo Kenyatta and Kwame Nkrumah.”

Lasekan’s art legacy has blossomed beyond where he left it, even within the family, so suggests the list of supportive artists exhibited at the event: two generations of his family showed with the late patriarch. The artists included children David, the creator of Benbella and Lulu characters as well as other cartoons for Daily Times; Kole a U.S.-based animator and Akinyele; grandchildren Akintunde, Luke and Jumoke.

Also in attendance to celebrate their own were His Royal Highness Olowo of Owo, Oba Victor David Olateru Olagbegi CFR, and Onipele of Ipele, Oba Abel Olaleye Alade II.

 

IN Lasekan’s works, his painting impressions such as Nigeria Independence, Nigerian Police Under Colonial Rule, Nigeria Soldier Under Colonial Rule and Dancers, all oil on canvas, indeed, show an artist who had a pact with strokes and lighting, perhaps “unrivalled” in his time.

Part of Lasekan’s bio reads: “While working with C.M.S Bookshop between 1936 and 1940, Akinola Lasekan took correspondence courses in fine art, art illustrating and cartooning. His first diploma was in fine art, obtained in 1937 from Normal College of Art, London. He joined West African Pilot in 1937. In 1939, he obtained his second diploma in advance drawing, illustrating, commercial art and cartooning from Washington School of Art, United States of America.

Between 1936 and 1940, he executed notable paintings that attracted great publicity in Lagos.”

Lagos auction debutants join the mega-sales chase

By Tajudeen Sowole

In its ninth edition, ArtHouse Contemporary auction, which holds twice, yearly, has again stressed its commitment to keep featuring new entries for every edition.

Since 2008 when it first made its debut into the Nigerian art market, unearthing the high value in African art, ArtHouse has been expanding the scope of the auction to more artists.

For the second of the 2012 auctions, which opens with preview tomorrow and Sunday as well as the sales proper on Monday, November 26, 2012 at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, over 15 debutants are among the lists of artists.

Sponsored by Renaissance Capital, the auction’s new debutants include Adebesin Adedamola, Alimi Adewale, Abiola Akintola, Benedict Olorunnisomo, Billy Omabegho, Chika Okeke-Agulu, Chike Obeagu, Dotun Adegbite, John Nosireme-Thomas, Lanre Ayoade, Lucy Azubuike, Osagie Aimufia, Raqib Bashorun, Segun Ayesan, Tolu Aliki, Uche Okpa-Iroha and Wande George.

  According to the manager of the auction house, Nana Sonoiki “there are one hundred and one lots of Nigerian and Ghanaian art for the sale, spanning the mediums of painting, sculpture, mixed media works and photography.”

Perhaps expected to be highpoints of the sales are works of masters such as Ben Enwonwu, Bruce Onobrakpeya and some other regulars in the old and new generation of artists.

Caption: One of the debutants, Tolu Aliki’s 24 Carat Gold (2012 acrylic on canvas, 48 x 41.5 in.)

Hoping that the November sales would be better than the last one held in the first quarter of this year, Sonoiki recalled that “the previous auction made a total sale – including the buyer’s premium – of N106 million, 132.000.” A total of and 97 out of 116 Lots, representing 84% were sold, she added. During the auction Nwoko’s painting, Praise Singer, (1961), oil on board, 91.4 x 122 cm. was sold to a telephone bidder at N7million during Arthouse Contemporary’s eighth art auction held last April. It was a distance from Ben Enwonwu’s N28 million (£125, 000) sale of a sculpture, Anyanwu (142.2 cm., excluding the base, 1956) at the ArtHouse’s seventh edition, last year November.

Expected to lead the top sales at next week’s auction are Enwonwu’s Agbowomowo (N3, 5m-N4,5); El-Anatsui’s Grandma's Cloth Series (N8m-N10m); Bruce Onobrakpeya’s Edokpa Palm Tree (N4m-5m) Nwoko’s Indian Girl in Sari (N2,5m-N3,m)

With the partnership, the sponsor of the auction Renaissance Capital, a member of the global firm, Renaissance Group is stressing its support for Nigerian art. It should be recalled that few months ago, Renaissance Capital sponsored a group art exhibition titled Fresh Vernacular.

As the preview starts this weekend, ArtHouse urged bidders to also view the catalogue online at www.arthouse-ng.com. She added: “Interested bidders must register in advance before the auction or at the venue during the viewings, bidders forms are also available on the website.

Renaissance Capital, a leading investment bank focused on emerging markets (EM) and Africa, has a presence in 20 countries, six of them in Africa. The Firm’s global distribution of equity and debt securities and research is managed from hubs in London, New York, Moscow and Hong Kong.

Interrupted Lives… engaging social vices artistically

By Tajudeen Sowole

The relationship in visual narrative between Committee for Relevant Art’s Lagos Books and Arts Festival (LABAF) and The Edge Studio, in the past three editions or more of the yearly event took a deeper intellectual level at the 2012 edition.

Still in the art exhibition format, the sub-event for this year entitled Interrupted Lives, according to the curator Nkechi Nwosu-Igbo of The Edge Studio, examines the role of contemporary artists in documenting recent events around the world appropriately, as well as “the fluctuating paradigms of our existence.” The show explicitly explores the LABAF 2012 theme: Narratives of Conflict, the curator added.

At the ground floor of Kongi’s Harvest Art Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, where Interrupted Lives was mounted, visitors were trickling in at the spate of about 20 or more minutes per person, very much in contrast to the other events of the LABAF that enjoyed higher attendance. This, however, did not diminish acknowledging the deeper relevance of the message buried in the works of the artists on display: nearly every major changes within Nigeria’s troubled social-political sphere as well as global crisis were interpreted by the artists whose works were exhibited in Interrupted Lives.

Works on display included paintings by naturalist Abiodun Olaku, cubist Duke Asidere, watercolourist and abstract expressionist Sam Ovraiti, native motif impressionist Tola Wewe, installation and performance artist Nwosu Igbo and documentary photographer Uche James Iroha. 

At the extreme end of the gallery, Olaku’s theme of house on stilts, though appeared over stressed, but it blended clearly with the Interrupted Lives concept. Titled Bliss (Oko Baba Series), it reminds one of the recently “disturbed” people of Makoko in Mainland Local Government who were forcefully evicted by Lagos State Government from their abode of time immemorial.

It should be recalled that while the inhabitants felt their lives had been interrupted, government argued that the action was in the best interest of the evictees, who were apparent victims of unplanned urbanisation.

However, few months after Makoko inhabitants lost their shelters, what looked like the truth surfaced somewhere else when flood sacked people in another part of the country. Lives were lost, thousands displaced and billions of naira worth of property destroyed along the River Niger. The affected people of about five states, unfortunately, were not given the opportunity of having their lives “disturbed” or “interrupted” as the Makoko people in Lagos who were “rescued” from a possible natural disaster.

Nwosu-Igbo’s installation I Hated My Eulogy strikes one as a caricature of the usual crime scene, designated by police, and hardly leads to any justice. Central to her focus, so it seems, is the failure of the justice system, perhaps truncated right from investigation stages as seen in the so-much dramatised Police Line Do Not Cross, usually seen at crime site.

For Nwosu-Igbo’s installation, images from the recent jungle justice meted on the four students of University of Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, who were accused of theft exudes creative and conceptual composite, but also brings silence wailing and unseen tears. Not necessarily tears for the Uniport-4, but for a country where the justice system is in trash, encouraging street and mob trial of suspects.

As James Iroha’s linear captures, Ovraiti, Wewe and Asidere’s works also made thought-provoking inputs to the central theme, another performance artist Jelili Atiku’s Nigerian Fetish was being awaited at the time of the visit. It was however “presented, later in documentary format via slides.” 

In her curatorial notes, Nwosu-Igbo stressed that the show “is an art discourse that looks at the very complicated link between creative practice and political crusading.” She lamented that despite the pool of resources for “artists to explore”, arising from the Boko Haram insurgency and the Dana plane crash “it seems artists are not authentic in recording these and other recent histories.”

The exhibition also included what she described as ‘a lecture room.’ “It’s interactive about “issues of insecurity, strife, and uncertainty of our times using the role of art as an appetizer.”

At LABAF 2011, it was Do Not Resuscitate, also curated by Nwosu-Igbo. The exhibition offered exhibited artists space to address the socio-economic and political challenges facing Nigeria. It brought performance, video and installation art in the same space with painting, and portrayed an all-inclusive as well as democratic approach to conceptual art.

New faces: Bob-Nosa Uwagboe, Tolu Aliki and filmmaker, photo artist Aderemi Adegbite joined Nwosu-Igbo and Atiku, as each artist’s identity still manifested despite the mix. Performance poet, Iquo Eke, also lent her vocal prowess to the exhibition. 

Will 'Dr Bello' end up another misplaced venture?

With the format of production such as a theme or screenplay, deliberately brought in to justify the mixed casts of Nigerian and Hollywood actors, it appears that the producer Tony Abulu and his financiers, Nexim Bank thought the prospect of Nollywood is outside the country.

The producer should know that it has been established that whatever accolades Nigeria had achieved in film, in the past two decades, started with 101 % local contents and humble beginning. 

It shocked me that Dr Bello, said to have gulped as much as $250, 000 will make its Nigeria premiere at just one center, Genesis Cinema at The Palms, Lekki, Lagos. The publicity materials I have received, so far, say Dr Bello opens this Sunday at Genesis.

On the set of Dr Bello

I am yet to see any preparation for a proper release to follow the premiere. Any Nigerian film project that has as much a budget as Dr Bello should be a pacesetter in cinema-chain format of distribution and not another hawking from one venue to another. I wonder how many people will get to see Dr Bello in Nigeria without cinema-chain distribution.

The director and producer of Dr Bello, Abulu and Nexim Bank should be told in clear language that the real challenge facing Nigerian film industry is not content: it’s distribution, specifically, lack of cinema value.

In theme, Dr Bello is a drama, and not thriller. It depicts an unrecognized or informal Nigerian Doctor based in Brooklyn, New York, and known as a miracle worker. With African incantations he miraculously ‘heals’ a child of Cancer.

One wonders what exactly you needed to spend as much money on just one production of such a movie, when the distribution outlets are non-existence. Half of the money spent should have been enough to can the movie, while the remaining half for distribution.

It would not be a surprise if President Goodluck Jonathan’s announcement of government’s $200m investment in the entertainment industry ends up another fuel subsidy scam or theft. Nexim bank, we have been told is one of the managers of the fund.