African Artists’Foundation
Headquarters, 54 Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoy, Lagos
8 | 26 October 2010
Opening ceremony gala, 6.30 pm, Eko Hotel & Suites, Kuramo Waters, Victoria Island, Lagos (Invitation only Call 017450750)
www.africanartists.org
www.lagosphoto.org (under construction)
lagosphoto@africanartists.org
African Artists’ Foundation presents the first annual photography festival, the first in the history of Nigeria.
Titled ‘Lagos Photo‘, this event is sponsored by the Etisalat, Eko Hotel and Suites, Eko Atlantic, Mondriaan Foundation, the Embassy of the Kingdo, and is supported by the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Eko Hotel and Suites, the British Council, the Civic Center, Center for Contemporary Art Lagos (CCA), Nigerian Breweries plc, the Lagos state government.
Making use of readily available public spaces, the Lagos Photo project aims to establish a community for contemporary photography that will unite, in the city of Lagos, local and international artists, through images that encapsulate individual experiences and identities from across all of Africa. It also aims to use the medium of photography to address and make visible important social issues in Africa as well as capture the essence of Lagos State from a holistic and historical perspective.
The month-long exhibition will feature a master’s class in photography, a workshop for young children, a series of indoor exhibitions, as well as cutting-edge outdoor exhibitions at select public locations throughout the city of Lagos. These public spaces include the Muri Okunola Park -Victoria Island, Kudirat Abiola Round About – Oregun Ikeja, Awolowo road roundabout – Ikoyi, and Professor Ayodele Awojobi Park – Onike Yaba.
It will feature images from renowned international artists as well as images from Nigeria’s finest and emerging photographers. These artists include: George Osodi, Kadir van Lohuizen, Lard Buurman, Juul Hondius, Hans Wilschut, Viviane Sassen, Andrea Sultiens, Henk Wildschut, Natasha Libbert, Jan-Joseph Stok, Mario Macilau, Angele Essamba, Edgar Cleijne, Anoek Steketee, Aisha Dapchi, Emeke Obanor, Olayinka Stephens, Tam Fiofori, Adolphus Opara, Andrew Esiebo, Akintunde Akinleye, Toye Gbade, Caline Chagaury, Cristina Baldan and Lara ter Veen.
Planned activities:
13, 20 & 27 September – Children’s workshop facilitated by George Osodi
8th October – Private preview at Eko Hotel & Suites/The Civic Center (Invitation only)
9th October – Opening ceremony gala, 6.30 pm, Eko Hotel & Suites, Kuramo Waters, Victoria Island, Lagos (Invitation only)
11-26th October – Master’s class facilitated by Dutch artists
Zainab Ashadu
Assistant Director/Curator
Lagos Photo ideology
The African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) based in Lagos is organizing an annual photo-festival, Lagos Photo, in collaboration with the Mondriaan Foundation which is based in Amsterdam. The festival will take place in Lagos, from the 8th of October for a month, all over the City in the newly renovated parks in Lagos and in the newly built impressive Eko Hotel Expo Centre in-door hall.
This annual photography festival commences this year in the Golden year since Nigeria’s independence. With a high representation of 10 Dutch artists and several leading Nigerian and African photographers showing. The festival also has has one of its aims the development of photography as an art – form and will hold a series of workshops for amateur and professional photographers.
The impressions and information received throughout the world about Africa have largely been through: written text in Literature; photography; and film. It is important that we Africans develop the tools of international story telling using these very same mediums to narrate our own stories from our own perspectives to the rest of the world.
In Nigeria today there is a lot of talk of “re-branding” to promote our nation. The African Artists’ Foundation takes a slightly different view. Our view is that there is a need to brand those positive aspects of the lifestyle, people, stories and cultures of our people rather than propagandizing an expensive re-branding agenda. In essence what we are saying is that there are several heroes working in and around Nigeria doing fantastic jobs without any support from the Government and there is a need to support and promote them. The most well know Nigerians today are not politicians but artists. Fela Anikulapo Kuti is definitely the most recognizable Nigerian, living or dead, on the world scene but back home leading brands and multinationals are not even interested in supporting his music legacy. Perhaps they are waiting for the Government to show some much needed leadership in this regard.
Lagos Photo will annually celebrate the positive stories in Nigeria: the transformation of Lagos State by the Fashola Government; the unbreakable Nigerian Spirit that sees Nigerians being happy and creative against the odds; the legacy of the titan Fela Kuti; the rich cultural heritage that we have; the beautiful landscapes and essentially, the lives of everyday people living and working in an urban megalopolis like Lagos. With Lagos Photo we are less interested in the sensational but the representation of the sensibilities of the people.
Azu Nwagbogu
AAF Chairman
African Artists’ Foundation
I’ll love to be a part of these
Am a photographer I want to be part of the Lagos Competition.I don’t know which website I will submit my pictures for the competition.I will really like to be assisted Thanks as I wait for your quick response.