'Art of horology goes beyond time keeping’

By Tajudeen Sowole

It was a rare kind of art exhibition at the gallery of Visual Arts Society of Nigeria (VASON), situated inside Freedom Park, Lagos, Island, when the business of time keeping took over the walls.

Organized by horologist, Adebusola Akinnubi’s Clockmania and spported by Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Foundation (OYASAF), the exhibition titled Unleashing the Creativity in Horologist had diverse designs, old, new, from abroad and local on display. 

If clock were confined within the functionality of time keeping, Aknnubi’s exhibition would have been irrelevant in this age of digital gadgets. Sources of monitoring or keeping time is built in nearly every soft wares of communicating tools such as handsets.

Part from the antique wall and floor clock pieces Akinubi acquired or loaned for the show, quite some designs were from her creative originality using discarded materials.      

The exhibited horologist, Adebusola Akinnubi (left), Chief Bintan Famutimi and visiting Director of African Museum, Smithsonian Insitution, Dr Johnnetta Cole during the exhibition

In sculptural form that combines functionality and aesthetic, Akinnubi implores discarded CDs, vinyl disc, monopoly table, computer components, fan blades and buttons of clothing.

 

Impressed by the creativity application of creating art out of horology, particularly in recycling context, theh chairman of the exhibition’s opening, Chief Bintan Famutimi, argued that “this is another form of art”. He  commended Akinnubi for her sense of recycling, and assured “I will send some of my dead gadgets to her for conversion into clocks”.

Explaining the importance of time keeping, Famutimi, a businessman and Chairman Tricontinental Oil and Gas, Services Limited said time is one of the most precious aspects of living as well an easily perishable assets. He noted that as the heart of a man working from birth, so the time ticks.  Everybody, irrespective of class has equal time of 24 hours. “You cannot be very rich or poor and have more or less time than any other person”.

Indeed, in this age of mobile phones and IT when clock is imbedded in soft wares, what is the relevance of clock in the traditional form? “At home, office or hotel, clock remains relevance beyond telling the time; they also add beauty and style as they are also art pieces”, Akinnubi argued.

The horology-artist disclosed how her love for the aesthetic of clock blossomed out of the formal training.“I did not study Horology formally. It started with my passion for unusual clocks. I sell exotic clocks and I wanted to do more challenging things as anyone can sell clocks hence the beginning of my Horology story”.   

 The art content in her customized designs, she explained “comes from the fact that the clocks we have are not regular timepieces you see around. Our Clocks are more of Art pieces”.

 Actually, clock falls into the sculpture genres of art. One am wonders if Akinnubi is working towards having indigenous production of the kind of sophisticated imported clock in master sculptural piece displayed during the show. “Eventually we will get there as we are taking one day at a time.