The Biennial is intended to place art in dialogue with the city. The first edition in 2017 took place at a railway compound in Yaba, beginning the Biennial’s intention to become a platform that binds urbanism and contemporary art together. By moving to different historically and architecturally significant buildings in Lagos, the Biennial becomes a…
Africa has been losing boys for generations. From the time of the transatlantic slave trade, successive generations of young men have moved off the continent into the New World: first by force and later searching for opportunities Africa has not been allowed to cultivate for them. These young men have become the black face of…
A Portion is a self-reflective series by Tony Gum. “Pain, fear, rage, loss, darkness and the unknown eventually, reconnecting with, love, hope, light and joy” emerging as a response to her recent experiences. Dualities, themes with a monochromatic tone, scenography and anthropomorphism are modes used to visualize a complex process of inner turmoil, rebellion and…
The opening night, emotionally charged with electric glinting grins that masked the inevitable post-installation exhaustion, was a celebration of a four year endeavor. This year’s graduating class first stepped foot into the academy in 2016 during the midst of the historic #FeesMustFall moment. A time defined by renegotiations of power dynamics and institutional critique achieved…
The starting point for thinking through this show is rust. Quite simply, rust occurs when iron or its alloys (such as steel) corrode. This compound of rust (iron oxide or Fe2O3) is a result of the reaction of oxygen to moisture in the air. The process is slow and once complete renders the steel damaged,…
Steven Cohen’s latest exhibition There’s glitter in my soup! invites audiences into a behind the scenes, post-performance moment. His series of self-portraits, carefully put together with the tape used to remove his make-up, are an instance of relative calm in his three-decade long performance practice. The glitter, the butterfly wings, the eyelashes, imprints of fold…
In her 1979 essay The White Album, Joan Didion begins “we tell ourselves stories in order to live”, but of course long before this (and long after) humans have held the sentiment that stories hold some importance. From Maya Angelou’s “there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” to Jean Luc…
“When Madonna came out with her hit “Vogue” you knew it was over. She had taken a very specifically queer, transgendered, Latino and African-American phenomenon and totally erased that context with her lyrics, “It makes no difference if you’re black or white, if you’re a boy or a girl.” Madonna was taking in tons of…
The IN:DIALOG series aims to activate ‘wasted’ potential space, through moments of art, performance, workshops & discussions. Each event is contextually grounded, allowing for a site-specific response to form through the development of a temporary architecture in relation to place. The creative team consists of Ilze Wessels (Is Sound Architectures) and artist Nina Erasmus. Conscious…
On 31 October, I was on my way to Soweto as I See A Different You’s Vuyo Mpantsha and Fhatuwani Mukheli together with Scottish Leader, had invited the press to a celebration. An exhilarating activation unfolded as these beacons of the industry unveiled one of their latest projects in collaboration with Scottish Leader. The Soweto…
“The expulsion of people forms part of the city’s transformation, and once-Lagosians find themselves lost in the iterations of Lagos, caught between the known and the unknown, foreigners at home. Always, the city is a mad horse; you either ride it or die.” – Wale Lawal Year: 2115. City: Lagos. Being online is routine and…
Prepare yourself for the exceptional at this year’s Miller Music Drop on the 30th of November 2019 spearheaded by Miller. Miller Music Drop is an exclusive, invite only music experience brought to the community in association with Channel O. A date that brings together an exhilarating line up of performers, the line-up for this gathering includes Grammy nominated…
