Akete Art Foundation, is set to hold the Inaugural Edition of the Lagos Biennial between 14th Oct and Nov 22, 2017, and have also released the list of participating artists.
In a press statement, released in Lagos, Folakunle Osho, the head of the team, stated that”The popularity of art festivals and biennials in major cities across the world has set a pattern through which contemporary art is imagined, perceived and structured.”
He said “Lagos, the commercial nerve point of Africa and an art destination on the continent was recently mentioned along with 12 other cities in a publication by Phaidon Press entitled “Art Cities of the future 21st Century Avant-Gardes” as one of the emerging art capitals of the world. With its last major art festival being FESTAC ’77 and more recently Lagos photo, ARESUVA, and Art X, the city of Lagos has blossomed in the arts with notable personalities taking on the international art scene in various capacities as artists, curators, art historians etc”.
The Lagos Biennial Themed “Living on the Edge”, is meant to explore Crisis in both historical and contemporary contexts. The exhibitions are framed around the concept of superimpositions and examine parallel histories and counter narratives with the character of the city of Lagos as a catalyst.
The Artist run event which holds once every two years in the city of Lagos at various locations with the primary aim of opening cultural, artistic and political conversations from Lagos to the rest of the world. In line with the spirit of Lagos which is all welcoming, the Lagos biennial is not driven by Afrocentric ideologies but rather embraces the ideology of a unified world.
The main Biennial exhibition which takes place at the Running Shed of the Railway compound in Yaba, Lagos, is being handled by Legacy 1995, a historical and environmental interest group in Nigeria, as they will arrange and provide tour access to monumental and historic architecture in the city of Lagos. This is because, it has become necessary to open up an artistic dialogue with the rest of the world in the form of large scale projects and exhibitions of contemporary art and knowing that Lagos, a historical slave and trade route, developed the culture of gate-keeping and taxation – where foreigners were welcome only to the reach of their pockets. In an attempt to juxtapose the historical and contemporary realities in this dynamic space, it would be natural to place the spotlight on the current expressions of these ancient values which have invariably become urban culture.
The Biennial is to start up with a photo party at the rooftop of the Goethe Institut on Friday,13th of Oct,2017 by 6:30 pm, with music from DJ Afrologic, Stiques and also a free tattoo session by Olivia Jasinski.
The orgainising team which is made up of Folakunle Oshun, Amira Paree, Erin Rice, Akor Opaluwah, Aminat Lawal-Agoro, Sola Akintunde and Jeanne Schultz, who is the design Architect.
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