The chemical ecology of poisonous butterflies brings to question our reliance on nature for beauty, as we romanticise planetary mechanisms as a refuge from our own inorganic decay under industrialisation, precisely undermined by the fact that Nature is often expressed even in all its putrid glory; our own bodies being eco-systems of bile, pus and…
It is not for nought that Black people go to the water to pray and commune with our ancestors — what the water gives us, reaches beyond the facts of this material, temporal enfleshed existence. Mare Monstrum/Drown in My Magic is Galerie Number 8 represented Austrian-Nigerian photographer David Uzochukwu’s ongoing photographic series initially began in…
It’s a long way to Gwadana; a place where tongues are long, clouds are neon, bellies are round, hills are pink and tails are chariots. As you travel along the edge, a tender song of melodies is set free. Mystery engulfs and fantasy captivates. Behind every hill lies an absurd universe. The mythology of witchcraft…
At times we are a little selfish where our experiences and sensitivity are concerned. I recognised this as soon as I was little, when I started playing the piano. I always valued my own experience, my own perfectionism. I should be very clear and exact to myself. Time, of course, passes by — and rightly…
Sculptural disciplines are most associated with the weight and heaviness of dense materials, expertly carved or rendered to create an artwork depicted as a third dimensional expression – present in the spaces we inhabit from varying tangible angles. Korean sculptor Do Ho Suh defies all notions of attachments to sedimentary materials, employing instead, the tactile…
Humanity’s habit is to think about time in a linear way— to put things in order, in a line — so that we have a series of independent facts. Actions change the course of history. I am only like this today because my parents did things in one way. Other things happened with my grandparents,…
Some time ago, I lived in a city that had already been destroyed a few times over. The reasons have always been similar—strong winds coupled with the wide-spread use of candles by the population mean fires spread easily. The result? A city destroyed and rebuilt again and again. And while the destruction has always been…
Several terms in Brazilian Portuguese originate from the time of slavery—used continuously, each day they become more detached from the meaning of their origins—seeming to fall into oblivion and become other things. They are terminologies that change, but when looked at closely it becomes evident that they continue carrying aspects of their originating essence with…
It has felt like a long few months adjusting to a new way of life. Through this pandemic and lockdown, we have seen the commitment of creatives in the effort to showcase their work virtually; from exhibitions, to launches and even fashion shows. Although it should be noted, for me nothing compares to the experience…
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…
Within the past four decades, there has been increased visibility of the ‘curator’ figure within the arts. The appointment of Swiss art historian Harald Szeemann as sole curator and director of the famous Documenta 5 exhibition caused a shift in how curators were perceived. The global art landscape as a whole was being shaken up…
In an ever-increasing digital age where modes of technology seep into everyday use, TMRW Gallery operates as a platform at the frontier of innovation. Rooted in the desire to extend knowledge and experience – the objectives of the space are to produce world-class work and promote South Africa as a thought leader. Its core focus…
