Sunday 28 February 2016

A State Of The Nation Address By Dike

By Tajudeen Sowole
In conceptual application of materials such as discarded-objects, to highlight the Nigerian leadership question, a new body of sculpture, mostly in installation by Ndidi Dike is a frontal assault on leadership deficit.  Shown at National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, tt's a State Of The Nation visual address by the artist, as the title aptly suggests, piercing into the conscience of everyone who, at different level of leadership and followership missed the opportunity to be responsible.

  
A Sculpture titled National Grid by Ndid Dike.

For an artist like Dike whose exhibition titled Waka Into Bondage, at Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos, eight years ago still remains reference point in Nigerian art space, activism in creative visual contents comes with great expectation. Beyond gathering of 'junks' to fill space and fulfill the fad of installation and 'conceptuality', Dike, in her State Of The Nation makes quite some salient sculptural statements.


Apart from the artist's careful and meticulous use of the limited space inside the National Museum gallery, her touch of depth simplifies contemporary sculpture beyond the confine of regular visual expression. An assemblage of scrap parts of domestic cooking stove as Untitled 1, mounted left side of the gallery; a floor installation of metal bed with flood of slippers titled How Much Am I Worth?; and a wall to floor gathering of energy-related discarded objects in the far end of the space displayed as National Grid, all cumulate into an interactive pool where viewers engage the objects on display.  Also, at the right wing of the gallery, a blackened room with a lone wheel chair radiates fear and perhaps warning that indeed, there is a consequence for every deed of deliberate irresponsiveness.

  
Assembled stoves of Untitled reminds one of the N5 billion naira worth of stoves for rural women announced during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. The stoves were never seen, at least in public before the end of the last government. Has Dike found the missing stoves? "No," the artist replies during my visit to the public viewing. "But my work is opened to different interpretation, and the issue of the missing stove you just raised could come in here." Recall that Jonathan, according to reports, 'released N1.3 billion to the Ministry of Environment for the purchase of clean cook stoves for rural women, a project which is expected to gulp N9.2 billion.'


 Still on Energy, a wall to floor installatiion, National Grid captures all the miserable stories of the sector of which Nigerians have been living with as dreadful as nightmares. Rendered in mural-style mesh sculpture of nearly all the known objects of energy such nozzles, other parts of fuel station and electricity generating set, fuel gallons electrical cables and other related scraps, the metal piece exposes the reality of a people whose search for lasting energy has remained elusive. On the floor, is an extension of the sculpture in line-up of mirrors: quite interesting that each of the mirror, unavoidably reflects individual viewers' image, suggesting collective responsibility of a failed-system. And of course, the situation could have been a glorious one, so everyone shares the responsibility.
  
Indeed, never has a nation been so embarrassed and stripped naked as the current situation of the missing Chibok girls. Ndidi captures the lack of responsive leadership in the installation titled How Much Am I Worth? Composite in a bare double deck metal bed, the work include sprinkling of slippers on the floor, which forms a kind of ring around the bed. Over 600 days after, the girls are still missing, perhaps more have been kidnapped. For Ndidi,  missing of the Chibok girls challenges "the value that we Nigerians place on lives."


Call it site-specific art, a black clothed room with an isolated wheel chair, which occupies the entire room of the National museum gallery may fit the definition as it radiates much blend of art and metaphysics. Depending on which side of assimilation your nerve belongs, the installation tagged Untitled pierces into one's psyche like a bird suddenly caught in a cage. Despite the blank or no title given to this conceptual and great depth installation, the central theme is not missing: a place or spot that has no escape. And stressing the point about the spiritual or metaphysics contents is a broken wheel chair.

  
Most installation exhibits in this part of the world hardly have any second value beyond the first display at gallery or venue of a show. For Dike's State of the Nation, I think the catalogue of the exhibition exposes a strong second value in photography. In fact, the capture angles and tones of each work or installation as published in the catalogue suggest that a photography exhibition could be extracted from the display in future.


 Recalling the idea that generated the exhibition, Dike says certain "occurrences and configurations that we encounter in our everyday life precipitate a quilt of mixed viewpoints concerning our collective experiences."  Such, she explains "provided a catalyst or premise for exploration, research and visual conversations in the form of this exhibit.  The idea was probably subconsciously gestating in my mind for years but most recently manifested itself in my identification, selection, and specific employment of objects as    material metaphors for firstly power, petroleum and politics (political power can also be viewed through a strictly political lens as mirroring the many ills of a lack of a responsive government and the quest for power at all costs) both literally and figuratively as a phenomenon."  


Treating such salient subject as state of a nation comes with sacrifice of detaching from her regular medium of soft materials like paints. "Realising that I could not express myself  succinctly and adequately enough with  media I had been known to  have used in the past, I needed potent objects and materials that carried innate significance - discarded, physical and visual  power - beside in-depth symbolism that could complement, harmonise and  extend the life of what I wanted to say in State Of The Nation."

 Ahead of the exhibition, Dike's work showed at the recently held Jogja Biennale XIII titled Hacking  Conflict, Indonesia meets Nigeria, where she also had a one month residency with five other artists. She  also exhibited her installation titled Trace: Transactional Aesthetics.

  
Of all biennales and other popular international gathering of artists, was special about the Indonesian experience? "The curator of 'Wok the Rock,'  had previously made a research and explorative trip to Nigeria with a colleague Lisistrata  Lucindiana, visiting artists’ studios , art institutions, museums in Abuja, Oshogbo  etc. He came up with Hacking Conflicts?"


More home-based Nigerian artists are going abroad, either for fair, gallery exhibition or biennale, in the last few years. As much as such development is good to promote Nigeria art overseas, are we not scared that the best of Nigerian art might end up being foreign collection where they would not be tracked for adequate provenance?
 
Photography collage from by Ndidi Dike's Trace: Transactional Aesthetics
 Dike's assertion is not different from that of most Nigerian artists on the issue. "The culture sector,  particularly, galleries and museums in Nigeria, are not up to date with the running, maintenance and use of 21st century environmentally controlled spaces, restoration and preservation techniques, specific storage facilities depending on the type of media used in works etc."  She defends her colleagues, arguing that "considering this scenario artists may have no choice but to sell their works to collectors and museums abroad," she stresses the importance documentation, and notes that quite a lot of Nigerian artists "keep track of their works, for posterity.

  
Back to her Indonesian experience, some of the past installations and photography collage experimentations appeared to have ascended to a depth of pool for Dike. "I developed a project/installation using large scale photography and culled objects from markets in Nigeria and Jogja in Indonesia called Trace: Transactional Aesthetics, where my focus was on the numerous aesthetically arranged street market commodities.  There is a strong sense of colour, synergy and vitality that is exuded by the activities and displays of the Lagos market place. This is epitomized in viewing of various products, textiles with customized designs to reflect local traditional cultures, secondhand clothes, jewelry, and a large variety of  edible consumables. All the commodities  at first glance appears to be in a seemingly chaotic state, but a second look reveals an aggressively ordered nature that serves as a fertile ground for exhibiting the aesthetically staged street market tableaus."


 She explains how her idea is woven around "regeneration and interpretation of the aura of the Lagos market in inspiring the sense and feel of its internal dynamics."




For Five Decades Oeuvre, Anatsui Goes To Aussieland


By Tajudeen Sowole

The first quarter of 2016 is El Anatsui's season of art shows, which provides the Ghanaian-born 'Nigerian master' a window to stress his strides to as far as Sydney, Australia. Within a month, Anatsui's two solo art exhibitions opened, each in London and Sydney.

  

El Anatsui's work "Drainpipe". Photo: Steven Siewert

What has been described as the artist's "most" comprehensive exhibition for a long time is currently showing as El Anatsui: Five Decades at Carriageworks, in Sydney till March 2016. Over a week ago, El Anatsui: New Works opened at October Gallery, London, ending April 2016.

  
For the Aussieland exhibition,  over 30 works created from the 1970s till date are on display, so says a press statement from Carriageworks, The works in the exhibition include ceramics, drawings, sculptures and woodcarvings, as well as the massive installations for which he has attained global recognition. More interesting, Anatsui is showing in Australia for the first time, despite having exhibited widely in Europe and the U.S in the last one decade.


 “El Anatsui: Five Decades is an ambitious project and reflects Carriageworks commitment to presenting the most ambitious contemporary art from around the world in Australia, says Lisa Havilah, Director of Carriageworks,.   "This major exhibition continues our annual series presenting the major installations by the most exciting international visual artists working today.”

  
If there is any living artist of Sub-saharan descent whose art has projected Africa to the outside world within a short period, Anatsui fits that status. His work lifts modern African art from the shadow of traditional context and project it into the future. And having come so strong, there appears to be a quiet movement of artists, among Nigerians, who are, individually, following the track of Anatsui's texture, as fragile as the career of such 'disciples' may seems.


 Really, any younger artist, particularly from Africa would want to be associated with a global master like Anatsui. His legendary recgniion in the art world as is not in doubt, says 

 Beatrice Gralton, Visual Arts Curator, Carriageworks. “El Anatsui is one of the world’s great artists and it is an honour to be presenting these remarkable works in Carriageworks’ unique spaces."  


  The gallery notes how Five Decades shows the Anatsui's "early propensity" in merging "traditional styles with contemporary art and current issues." The artist, Carriageworks explains "reveals an awareness of the fragility and transience of existence; a belief that damaged or discarded objects can be transformed into something new; a working method that incorporates multiple sources and parts to form a whole; and the importance of language as a metaphor to expand the interpretation of art."


  Among revealations of the artist's oeuvre at the exhibition are his early ceramics, prints and sculptures, which have Ghanaian native adinkra symbols.   


  The gallery notes how Five Decades shows Anatsui's "early propensity" in merging "traditional styles with contemporary art and current issues." The artist's body of work, Carriageworks explains, "reveals an awareness of the fragility and transience of existence; a belief that damaged or discarded objects can be transformed into something new; a working method that incorporates multiple sources and parts to form a whole; and the importance of language as a metaphor to expand the interpretation of art."

  
On his encryption of rich African contents in his work, the gallery argues it stresses that "art is never stagnant nor determined, rather it is part of the changing rhythm of contemporary life."

   
More importantly, the exhibition, according to he organisers, revisits colonial factors in the trajectory of Africa.. "Five Decades probes the histories of colonial and post-colonial Africa alongside themes of consumption, exchange and renewal and the limitless beauty found in the everyday. Anatsui’s art presents a coming together of cultures, artistic traditions and contemporary life."

   
Excerpts from the gallery statement adds: "Five Decades demonstrates Anatsui’s ingenuity in working with repurposed materials including wood, aluminium printing plates, tin boxes and liquor bottle tops. In 1998 the chance discovery of a garbage bag of Nigerian alcohol bottle tops presented him with a new material with which he could produce an extraordinary range of effects. 

Flattened, folded and bound together with copper wire, the labels from whiskey, wine, rum, gin, brandy, vodka and schnapps – all produced in West Africa – reflected the stories of cultural exchange, consumption, colonialism and migration particular to the continent. The shimmering palette of these labels and evocative brand names including Dark Sailor, King Solomon, 007, Chairman and Makossa also added a new kind of graphic element to Anatsui’s work."

   
Born in 1944 in Anyako, Ghana, Anatsui lives and works in Nsukka, Nigeria and is recognised as one of the world’s leading contemporary artists, having been awarded the esteemed Gold Lion award at the 2015 Venice Biennale. Categorically undefinable, Anatsui’s work combines the history and trajectory of abstract art with the local vernacular of Ghana and Nigeria.


Aso Igba...Abbas' Painterly Probity Of Social Fabrics


By Tajudeen Sowole
From fabrics in diverse textures that have become an extension of native fashion among Nigerians, particularly in the southwest of the country, is being elevated as icons in the new portraitures body of work by Kelani Abbas.

 

The Bourgeois 1 by Kelani Abbas

Pastel on Paper 44 x 96 cm 2015.
Displayed as Aso Igba (Social Fabric), inside a new space known as Art Clip, at Radison Blu, Victoria Island, Lagos, the portrait paintings by Abbas, in pastel, probes the source of strength in some of the popular fabrics. With traditional and modernism style painting, the artist pulls a surprise on not a few of his followers; in his last two major solo exhibitions, he made slight shift from core representational realism themes.


As Aso Igba reminds one of Abbas' classic style of which his canvas was known when he made a debut solo, Paradigm Shift at Mydrim Gallery in 2009, perhaps the ground is being prepared for a return to his early years. Not exactly a sharp deviation, anyway. His choice of genre or theme at a particular time is based on "flow of ideas," he says during a visit to the exhibition. 


For Aso Igba, the great value of art in retrieving or rescuing and documenting periods is stressed.  And while probing into the trajectory of some of the fabrics that have been with the people for decades, the paintings by Abbas also celebrate the wearers, particularly the common and everyday persons on the streets. In fact, between the style/technique implored by Abbas in Aso Igba and that of the famous contemporary Nigerian-American artist, Kehinde Wiley, lies the common factor of celebrating everyday people in classic portraiture.

   
A triptych titled Fila Odun, and a single piece Aso Odun, both depicting children in festive moods say much about the excitement of kids in new dresses, particularly on specific festive days.  Each of the portraits painted against familiar patterns of damask explain the core of the artist's probity into aso (fabric).

 Some of the other works on display in medium and small sizes plexiglas framed include Baba Alajo, Fulani Woman series, Iya Agba, Ore Meji and The Bourgeois series among others. For each of the works, there is something to pick, beyond savouring the touch of detailed patterns of the fabrics rendered in pastel.
    
Over the decades, the Yoruba people of southwestern Nigeria have adopted quite a number of foreign and overseas made fabrics to produce strictly native designs such as buba (male and female), sokoto and agbada (male), iro and ikpele (female). Among the imported fabrics that have been iconised – over the people’s indigenous aso-oke in the Yoruba fashion space for nearly a century or more - are damask, lace, guinea brocade and ankara.

  
As creative pieces of art on the seemingly compatible walls at Radison Blu, Aso Igba radiates quite a great aura of cultural value, even adding elegance to the creative contents. For example, The Bourgeois-I, a depiction of typical native Yoruba male outfit of three piece buba, agbada and sokoto with gobi fila (cap), which the artist rendered in triptych, animate how the guinea fabric compliments the resilient native design. More interesting, each of the three postures of the model exudes status or class statement associated with the flowing agbada.

   
For every painting on display, the bold patterns of damask in the background, enhances the figural images of the subjects. Clearly, the pattern is iconic in Abbas' Aso Igba; so he set out, curiously, to trace its effect on other fabrics. "I did a little research about damask and the influence the designs have on ankara and guinea."   And he realises how other "fabrics derive their patterns from damask."

 The influence of the guinea brocade patterns on other fabrics such as ankara seems to transcend cultural divides across the Niger, so suggest works such as Fulani Woman series. Still matted against the damask patterns, Abbas’ Northern subjects are clothed in ankara fabrics with free garment designs.

  
To appreciate Abbas' skill in details, works such as Iya Agba, an elderly woman; and Social Fabrics 5, two old men engaged in street musical band, all emboss wrinkles that have been carefully toned. Interestingly, the artist's choice of title such as Iya Agba brings back the memory of cultural and native value as against the current trend where nouns such as 'grandma' or 'grandpa' creeps into Yoruba language.


  For a new space as Art Clip, Abbas' Aso Igba, appears like a good start, as the second of the first two exhibitions since it opened for business. The attraction for the new space is "the everyday people of our society, their ethnicity, wealth, values, interests and capacities," says curator at Art Clip, Rayo Falade.  "The award-winning artists works continue to explore the possibilities inherent in painting, photography and printing to highlight personal stories against the background of social and political events, which engage time and memory."


 A brief about the space reads: Art Clip is a contemporary space that promotes perceptive art across a variety of traditional and experimental media. Located at the Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos, Art Clip displays both established and up and coming talents. It aims to amplify leading new voices in contemporary art from African scenes with initial reference to social, economic, and political contexts in Lagos and Nigeria.


 Abass (b.1979) studied at the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, graduating with a distinction in Painting. The award-winning artists works explore the possibilities inherent in painting, photography and printing to highlight personal stories against the background of social and political events which engage time and memory.

   
Among his soloi art exhibitions are Man and Machine (2011) and Asiko (2013).

Sunday 21 February 2016

For Murtala Mohammed’s 40th remembrance, exhibition, lecture highlight virtue


By Tajudeen Sowole


Four decades after the assassination of former Head of States, General Murtala Mohammed, a memorial exhibition and lecture in his honour have generated reflection on the worth of selfless leadership.

   
Former Nigerian High Commissioner to Namibia, Ambassador Prince Adegboyega Christopher Ariyo (left); D-G, NCMM, Yusuf Abdallah Usman; D-G, Centre for Black African and Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), Ferdinand Anikwe and curator, National Museum, Onikan, Lagos, Mrs. Edith Ekunke during the opening of a Murtala Mohammed 40th Anniversary Exhibition.

Held at the National Museum Onikan, Lagos, the exhibition titled ‘Our Hero Past: General Murtala Ramat Mohammed’ – currently showing – is a rejuvenated and expanded version of the permanent display by Nigerian Government. Still standing as the iconic object of the exhibition, is the Mercedes Benz car in which the late head of state was assassinated on February 13, 1976. 


For a nation currently on a journey towards rebirth, the occasion of the 40th anniversary of General Mohammed death should have provided for mass reflection of the people. Sadly, the period coincided with celebration of falsehood and distortion known as Valentine’s Day, which took attention of the people, particularly the youth from the true virtue of leadership that the late Mohammed stood for.

   
 While government-organised events in Lagos and the Federal Capital territory, Abuja in honour of Mohammed were faintly heard, the hypes about Valentine’s Day took over the newspapers and airwaves of the Nigerian media.  


  However, for those who cherished the virtue of true leadership, the 40th anniversary of General Mohammed was worth the gathering at Onikan, a significant neigbhood where the late head of state was assassinated. Guest Speaker at the event, Ambassador Prince Adegboyega Christopher Ariyo, who is a former Nigerian High Commissioner to Namibia noted how General Mohammed gave new direction to governance before he was assassinated on February 13, 1976. Also, the daughter of the late head of state, Mrs Aisha Mohammed Oyebode who is the Chief Executive Officer, Muritala Mohammed Foundation explained the importance of the anniversary in Nigeria’s potentials to greatness.


  In his four and half page lecture titled The Life and Times of Late General Murtala Muhammed: Any Lesson for Contemporary Nigeria?, Prince Ariyo, among other commendations, argued that the late head of state gave Nigeria “the missing leadership qualities” that the people needed. The former Ambassador added: “He gave new dynamism to the pursuit of the essence of governance in the national interests. Fulfillment of the spirit and letter of the social contract between the leader and the led was given new meaning.”


  Speaking on what he considered as the golden era of Nigeria’s foreign policy, Prince Ariyo traced the nation’s achievement to the leadership quality of Mohammed: “though geographically in West Africa, Nigeria became a member of the frontline States of Southern Africa – Those medling in African Affairs were told to keep away.” The former Ambassador recaaled that a phrase Africa has come of age speech in Addis Absba “was a clear signal that Nigeria had the resources tend her res future in dignity and would not take any nonsense.”


  The exhibition, Our Hero Past…  is a tripartite project of National Commission For Museums and Monuments (NCMM), ikoyi-Obalende LCDA and Murtala Mohammed Foundation. From her Goodwill Message, Mrs Oyebode listed quite a number of benefits of the 40th memorial exhibition. Among such benefits, she said, “it allows us to celebrate the contributions of Late General Mohammed to the project of nation building for which he was very passionate; to highlight, once more, the very ideals eschewed by Late General Mohammed to the project of nation building for whic and on which the Foundation is founded.”   


  Earlier in his Welcome Address, the Director-General, NCMM, Mallam Yusuf Abdallah Usman had explained that the exhibition “is the humble attempt” of the government agency to raise awareness, celebrate and promote the ideals for which Muhammed died “as a befitting epitaph for the fallen patriot.”


  Usman listed among several achievements of the late head of state, the creation of additional seven states and conception of the proposal for the movement of the Federal Capital from Lagos to Abuja. Usman recalled that the official car of Mohammed in which he was assassinated “has been under the care and preservation of the NCMM since the brutal murder.” He stressed that the Mercedes Benz car “has become one of Nigeria’s priceless antiquities, and available for viewing and education of our visitors.”  Usman disclosed that to further place Mohammed in the rightful place of Nigeria’s past heroes and promote the ideals for which he died, “his tomb has been proposed by NCMM as a national monument.”

 The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who was represented by the Director-General, Centre for Black African and Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), Ferdinand Anikwe described the tenure of the late head of state as having a “record that is difficult to surpass.”  The minister added that “the exhibition is a challenge to all to rid Nigeria of corruption, nepotism and keep the nation as one.”


  Apart from the exhibition, the cenotaph of Mohammed in Lagos Island, according to Toyin Caxton-Martins, Executive Secretary, Ikoyi-Obalende, LCDA, Eti-0sa, , will be improved as a monument. The council boss had earlier added her voice to the growing importance of keeping Nigeria as a major lesson to pick from the memorial exhibition and lecture.


 Also, a commemorative postage stamp in the honour of Mohammed was launched by Nigerian postal Post during the exhibition and lecture.


With Affordable auction, Arthouse makes tri-annual

By Tajudeen Sowole
 In response to the growing appreciation of African art, a new auction outlet – earlier announced last year - is becoming a reality in the secondary art market of Lagos.
 
Being organized by Arthouse Contemporary, the latest addition tagged The Affordable Art Auction, which holds on February 17, 2016 at Kia Showroom, Victoria Island, Lagos, features works of artists across generations and genres. Ahead of the sales, the previews of the auction are scheduled to hold on February 25-26.
 
Evening Sunset 
2012 Acrylic on paper 69 x 53.5 cm. (27 x 21 in.) by Ola Balogun (b. 1972)

  
Arthouse Contemporary, regarded as a pioneer auction house in West Africa, has been organising bi-annual auctions of modern and contemporary art sales in May and November since 2008. Supported by Ecobank, Kia Motors and Luxeria, The Affordable Art Auction, according to Arthouse is being organised as a result of “an explosion of interest in contemporary African art in recent years.” The auction house added that there has been a commensurate potential for investment. 

  "The market is maturing," Mrs. Kavita Chellaram, CEO at Arthouse Contemporary had noted after last November sales. "Blue chip is of high value and we had multiple buyers for the premium works." Chellaram therefore disclosed that "we are going to separate the smaller works from premium and have a sale of works up to N500, 000 naira upwards." 

  Three months after and from a call for entries that totaled over one hundred submissions, Arthouse has selected the lots, which include many artists who are featuring in the  house’s sale for the first time. The auction also includes “works of art by leading modern masters and Africa’s most prominent artists —- all scaled to a more affordable and accessible price point.” 

  Listed among artists whose works are making the inaugural Affordable Auction are Ben Enwonwu, Bruce Onobrakpeya, Kolade Oshinowo, Twins Seven Seven, Rom Isichei, Peju Alatise, Ben Osawe and Lemi Ghariokwu, among others. International artists include Paa Joe and Jacob Tetteh-Ashong (Ghana), Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou (Benin), Cyrus Kabiru (Kenya), Sokari Douglas Camp (UK), and Chipika Simanwe (Zambia).

  Specifically, the definition of Arthouse’s ‘affordable’ is  based on pricing “below NGN 500,000,” which allows what the auction house describes as showcasing a wider scope of artists.
 “Through this auction, Arthouse Contemporary seeks to open more opportunities for artists in Nigeria to sell their work and create a new audience to appreciate and interact with contemporary African art,” the auction house explains its mission. “The aim of the Affordable Art Auction is to encourage first time buyers to take the leap into their first art acquisition and for more seasoned collectors to expand their repertoire.”

  Included in the sale are three charity lots in support of the Society of Nigerian Artists (SNA), with all proceeds going directly to the professional body’s fundraising campaign to expand its operations.

Saturday 20 February 2016

How A Nigerian National Museum Lost Over One Million Dollar Foreign Aid to Mali



 By Tajudeen Sowole
 A Federal Government of Nigeria-Ford Foundation project aimed at remodeling of National Museum Onikan, Lagos, worth $2 million dollar was suspended by the foreign donor due to the inability of the government to provide N500 million counterpart funding.

   
The botched project which included a conservatory laboratory was launched in 2009, but suspended about three years ago by the Foundation.

  
National Museum, Onikan, Lagos.
However, the 2016 budget, according to Director-General, National Commission For Museum and Monuments (NCMM), Yusuf Abdallah Usman, is inclusive of a conservatory laboratory being built in Ogbomoso, Oyo State. The canceled FG-Ford Foundation laboratory, if built, would have served the entire West Africa in area of restoration and conservation of artifacts as well as general works of art, particularly of African origin.

    
For over seven years, the Ford Foundation part of the funding, according to investigation was available. But the project could not take off as the then Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation under the last administration "failed" to provide the counterpart funding.

   
However, as the title of the exhibition “All Is Not Lost”, organised in 2009 for the launch of the $2million dollar project suggested then, the Ogbomoso laboratory is, perhaps, something to fill the gap of what would be the first of its kind in West Africa. During an exclusive chat, few days ago, Usman said: "The contract for the construction of Heritage Conservation Laboratory Centre was awarded to Messrs Yewenu Nigeria Limited, in 2011 in the sum of N125, 630, 888.25 million." The contract, he added, comprises of laboratory /Office Complex, Antiquity Store, Fence work and Gate House.

  
With over 70 percent of the project yet to be completed, Usman disclosed that the 2015 budget did not capture the deficit.

"So far a total sum of N41,130, 932.06 million representing 33 percent completion," the DG explained, has been expended. "No provisions in the budget last year. A proposal to complete the project this year has been included in the proposed 2016 Budget estimates."

   
Until 2009 when the joint effort of Ford Foundation and NCMM was launched in Lagos, the state of Nigeria's number one museum at Onikan was widely described as deplorable and worrisome. The museum, which for decades, used to be an attraction for both local and international tourists has gradually slid into the state of disrepairs.

   
Recalling details of the Ford Foundation-Federal Government project for the Onikan Museum, Usman said "the remodeling of the museum and construction of the conservation laboratory was truncated due to the unavailability of counterpart funding to the tune of N500 million." Perhaps the project could be revived if NCMM raises the counterpart fund now that there is a new government. The D-G responded, saying "I doubt if the project is still under consideration by Ford."


 Commending Usman for what he described as the DG's frantic effort that got the MoU signed between Nigerian government and Ford, Mr Innocent Reg who is the Foundation's representative in Nigeria disclosed that the foreign aid fund has been moved to Mali. "The Director-General, Mallam Usman tried his best and got government to sign the MoU with us," Reg stated during a telephone conversation. "Unfortunately the Nigerian Ministry of Culture was unable to provide the counterpart fund for the conservatory lab." Reg recalled the fund was still available when he took over in 2013, but it was later moved to Mali where it was needed." For the Mali project, the fund, he said was used to rehabilitate a heritage site destroyed by terrorists during insurgency in that country.

  
Chief Edem Duke, Former Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation

The non-realisation of the remodeling with conservatory lab for Onikan museum was like two misfortunes recorded for the colonial-inherited monument. During the administration of president Olusegun Obasanjo, a presidential intervention for rehabilitation of museums across the country generated over N700 million naira. Unfortunately, till date no one seemed to know what happened to the fund. In fact, during the opening of Nigerian museum management's 70th anniversary exhibition, late last year, Usman briefly revisited the mysterious fund. Speaking about the challenges of the museum, Usman, like most observers, could not explain what happened to the money before he became DG. "N750 million was allocated in the past to rehabilitate the museum," he recalled and added that the result "is a story for another day."

 During the 2011 Ben Enwonwu Distinguished Lecture Series, held at Nigerian Institute of External Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, the incident that led to the presidential intervention fund was narrated by former Secretary of Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaokwu. He recalled how former President Obasanjo tried to set up a committee under the leadership of the former Director of National Museum, Ekpo Eyo, to rehabilitate museums.

   
But at the point of accessing the funding, of which over N700 million was said to have been approved by the Presidency, it was revealed that the exercise ran into a hitch due to certain complication.

   
On what led to that committee, Anyaoku said that he ran into the decaying state of the national museum in company of his foreign visitors. He explained: " Three years ago, I had visitors from Canada and I thought it would be right to take them to the Nigerian Museum. I took them there and what I saw was a shock to me. It was in my view, a national disgrace. When I got home, I called the President and he reacted immediately by setting up a committee. He called Ekpo Eyo to head the committee saddled with the responsibility of rehabilitating Nigerian museum. That committee produced a report, which before the end of the tenure, gave a budget for the rehabilitation of the museums."
 
  For the Onikan museum, it wasn't exactly a case of total disappointment whilst the FG-Ford Foundation partnership lasted. Between 2009 and now, regular visits to the Onikan museum showed that rehabilitation works have been carried out in areas such as reconstruction of the Murtala Muhammed Gallery, temporary and permanent exhibition galleries. Other assistance from Ford included renovation of computer room, board room, public toilets and repair of generator house, reconstruction of the Murtala gallery.


 In the area of capacity building, the aid was extended to training of staff in conjunction with British Museum both home and abroad. Other renovations done included painting of the perimeter fence and repair of the roundabout in front of the museum entrance; purchase of new air-conditioning system and rug for the main office and the research office, and  of the old administration building as well as sponsorship of two exhibitions – “All Is Not Lost” and “Life Cycle.”


  However, the relationship between NCMM and Ford Foundation is still active, according to Usman. He said “at the moment they (Ford) are printing the catalogue to National War Museum Umuahia and they have helped re-designed our website.”


In 2012,  it appeared that the collaboration was yielding the target goals: the gallery in which the exhibition, “Nigerian Art in the Cycle of Life” was mounted wore a new look. From the flooring to the room dividers, basements and spot lighting, a new dawn beamed on the presentation of the vast collections of the Lagos museum. During the opening ceremony, Representative of Ford Foundation (West Africa Office), Dr. Adhiambo Odaga disclosed that “the gallery was not actually part of the initiative.” She explained that the need to expand the gallery space led to its inclusion in the list of Ford Foundation’s assistance for the museum. So far, she declared “we are encouraged to continue the ultimate goal.”


Ford Foundation Vice President on Education, Creativity and Free Expression, Darren Walker noted that the “unique feature of Nigerian culture is most manifest in the collections of the museum.”
 (First published in The Guardian Nigeria on Wednesday, February 17, 2016 as
For Onikan Museum, rescue mission remains elusive)




Sunday 14 February 2016

Sprinkling Confetti On Unwelcome Persons' Portraits


By Tajudeen Sowole
Thematically based on the plight of victims of displacement, Ngozi Schommers' collage paintings, interestingly, bring an opportunity to see the subject through the perspective of a resident in Germany. Also of interest is the fact that, increasingly, a conservative Lagos art space is being challenged in battle for the soul of the rising value of appreciation, so confirms Schommers's technique in sprinkling of confetti on canvas. 
  
The Flu, by Ngozi Schommers
Currently showing as We Are Not Welcome Here at Rele Gallery, Onikan, Lagos, the body of work, which is Schommers debut solo exhibition also, in contemporary context appears to expand the technique of pointillism using confetti. For the artist whose signature is just eclipsing into the Lagos art space, her attempt to be adventurous appears like a self-tasking point of take off.
 Curated by Jude Anogwih, We Are Not Welcome Here stretches the issue of displacement to battle for survival, where, most times, retreat is unimaginable, yet the frontier of dreamland appears like a mirage. With quite a modest preview event, which had guests trickling into the exhibition space at Rele Gallery - a day before the public opening - enough ventilation was created for the works to breathe.  
  
A triptych of drawings and shade paintings mounted opposite the gallery's entrance seems like the centre of attraction for most guests during the Saturday evening. Titled The Flu, its rendition of figures across the triptych lines explains displacement of another form, so suggests Schommers’ thoughts  during a chat at the preview. From German inspiration of a similar word that indicates "flight", the artist distils a situation where "everyone is on his or her own," particularly in a world contending with all kind of diseases.
  
Viewing the rest of the exhibits through the prism of the conceptual depth of The Flu appears like ascendancy in appropriation as Margarita of Old And New (confetti inject photo print and acrylic on canvas) strays into one's sight from right side of the gallery. In what looks like a surreal or conceptual composite realism, Margarita... presents energetic impression of a painstakingly rendered art piece.
  
Deep into the white walls of the gallery, rains of confetti gets louder on the portraits of these unwelcome persons. As works of art, they form  Schommers' identity on canvas, so suggest titles like Life Is A Gamble, and In A Bub le series 1 & 2, all portraitures of a child, lad and young adult among several others that are highlight the displacement themes. For example, Untittled (we are not welcome here), depict a distressed-face of what looks like a young Arab child. And with butterflies as well as flowerings as signs matted on the subjects, Schoomers stresses the flight analogy of the theme in focus.
   
Being a citizen in Germany, a country at the receiving end of refugees from the Middle East, and perhaps parts of Africa, Schommers has an opportunity of first-hand information. She recalls how her contact with some of the refugees started when she arrived Germany two tears ago. From her observation of the activities of the migrants and refugees, some of "who were my neighbours" she distills the constrains of the people "to adjust to the restrictions of space," in the host country.
   
Apart from those displaced as a result of wars in their homelands, the other set of self-inflicted displaced persons and 'economic refugees' are still on the increase in Europe despite dwindling resources of most of the unwilling host countries. Is there anything 'privileged' residents like Schommers can do to assist these people, particularly in educating them on the challenges ahead? 

Displacement, she responds "is a constant movement" that is perhaps unavoidable as people "always move from place to place in search of greener pastures or simply just to survive." Schommers advises such displaced persons "to observe and understand the diversity of culture, particularly of their host country and try as much as possible to integrate and adapt properly."
  
In creative context of stepping out for a debut solo outing, which, clearly, could shape her career in the future, Schommmers, like few artists, is coming out with a defined direction. However, her post-training - 2011 to 2014/15 appears to me as too short experience to generate what she has at Rele during the private preview. In fact, she must have had a pre-school experience on the canvas, so one would think.  She discloses that "this experimentation has been going" whilst in school at Yaba College of Technology. And when she set out for the exhibition, there came input such as "a strong curatorial support," which "helped to shape and structure what is presented at Rele gallery." In fact, her current stride, she boasts "is just a quarter in terms of number of what has been made over the last five years."
  
For Rele, a space that seems to be enjoying its euphoria of creating new and fresh art contents, Schommers' We Are Not Welcome Here affirms the direction of the gallery. Traditionally, artists are too independent to be lured into gallery's art agenda or philosophy. “Challenge of getting artists fit into our vision at Rele is not exactly much," says Adenrele Sonariwo. "We respect each others' views, such that we avoid telling artists to paint in a particular way, but it must fit into our vision."
  
And the shades of connoisseurs as well as other art lovers and collectors at the preview leave no one in doubt that despite the gallery's non-traditional approach to contents management, it seems to be getting a fare share of attention. Just one year old in the business, it is perhaps too early to celebrate anything. But, "we have the followers of our vision," Sonariwo boasts. 
  
Curator, Anogwih notes how the artist "brings some kind of game feeling to most of her works through the placement of subjects, or arrangement and use of card games (poker) to indicate power struggle, manipulation of different situation, the (our) system, unfairness, greatness, discrimination." He appraises what she describes as Schommers' "constant use of flowers and butterflies in her works suggests migration, freedom, transformation, life, damage and hope. And in some cases, just something beautiful, signifying that life is beautiful irrespective of the odds."
  
Schommers' palette is not exactly new to the Lagos art scene, having shown in quite some group exhibitions. For example, her works featured in 2014 at Sensing Space, a group exhibition by Defactori artists, which included Awoyemi Ajibade, Ola B alogun, Anthony Ayanu, John Akintunde, Chika Idu, Taiwo George -Taylor, Adeladan Adeshino, Ngozi Schommers, Joe Essien and Damola Adepoju.
  
Her bio reads:  Schommers, b. 1974, is a multimedia artist. She was born in Enugu and graduated in Painting from Yaba College of Technology, Lagos in 2011. She has participated in several group shows. She is a full time studio artist.
   
Ngozi Schommers
 Excerpts from Sxhommers’ Artist Statement: “I think of how my subjects construct their lives. I see and understand their innocence or lack of it, manipulation, struggle, neglect and curiosity. Just like the way I connect my dots as in the confetti I string together to make my art, I also tend to fuse these varying human lives together, because at the end of the day no matter how individualistic we maybe, we still all live together in the same universe as humans.”
   
Past exhibitions include Nzuko ime emume (Gathering to celebrate) Group Exhibition at the American International School, Lagos (2013); Sensing Spaces Group Exhibition at Terra Kulture, Lagos (2014).
  
She lives and works in Bremen Germany and Lagos Nigeria.