With OnDisplay, Gallery at The Landmark Hosts Maiden Art Talk Series

Enraptured by the warmth of the auditorium inside Alliance Francaise, Mike Adenuga Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos a moderate gathering of creatives relished the first in the annual Art talk series called OnDisplay which featured TY Bello, Kola Tunbosun and more. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

“Until lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter,’’ was the African proverb that set the tone for the maiden edition of the art talk series christened OnDisplay. Organised by Gallery at The Landmark, the talk series is reminiscent of the famous TED talks. Created by the co-owner of Gallery at The Landmark, Ighiwiyisi Jacobs, OnDisplay is built to be an annual event where topics of global and national impact can be interrogated with the view to inspire people through the arts.

Featuring a collaborative performance by the guitarist Femi Leye and the painter Ini Abasi, the series was anchored on the art of storytelling. In her opening remarks, Jacobs explained why the series was set up.

“I found out that people tend to take in heavy topics when you present them in a light fashion. I believe it is possible to do that and have engaging conversations that are life-changing in a format that it is easy to stomach. And that is what we plan to do every year. Hannah came up with the theme, “Wielding Power’’ which became the overarching theme for this year’s edition of OnDisplay.

In reference to the African proverb made popular by Chinua Achebe, Jacobs drew attention to the challenge of documenting African culture and identity.

“Africa has been handed to us by those who were able to document it. It is time for Africans to tell their own stories. Every OnDisplay is going to be geared towards making sure that Africans start waking up to the fact that stories eventually become history. And we would pass that on to our children. Power is not truly owned. Power will always be seductive. It wants you to believe that you own it. Power uses as much as it is used. Power is not truly owned. As custodians of power, we must be ready to hand it over when the time comes. We want people to understand the nature of power and handle it with respect and be willing to hand it over. Power is transmitted through storytelling,’’ she said.

TY Bello, the Nigerian singer, photographer and philanthropist, born Toyin Sokefun-Bello spoke on the theme of ‘Wielding Power’ whilst drawing upon her personal experiences. For her, power is not just to be understood in physical terms. She began writing music at 14 and would later discover her multiple talents in painting, singing and hair making.

“As we grow up, it is unlikely that we are thinking of throwing punches. Yet, we are constantly fighting for our spaces in the world. My major fight has been that ability to fight for my space in the creative world. When people attribute success to you, you have to spend a big amount of time living up to that name,’’ she said.

She described her creative power as a gift and never considers herself as a master as she forges on with the beginner’s attitude.

“I don’t have a sense of ease that I have mastered something. But I have found my voice as an artist,’’ she said.

Olufemi Akinsanya, a traditional art collector, spoke on why it is essential to preserve our cultural heritage through the arts.

“Many of the works of our ancestors reflected the things around them. The quality of their creativity ought to awaken us to our responsibility to preserve this heritage. These artworks are going out of fashion. Some are being destroyed because many are made of wood. Many of these works are leaving our shores. But the problem is that many of these works are not meant to be kept in museums. They would perish and the few we can find, we should collect them,’’ he said.

Nigerian linguist, writer, translator, scholar, and cultural activist, Kola Tunbosun kicked-off his presentation with a picture of the arrival wing of the international airport Lagos with ‘Welcome to Nigeria.’ He addressed the Nigerian obsession with the language of the colonizer- English and the neglect and inferior treatment of our indigenous languages. He called for attitudinal change backed by policies that can encourage the use of indigenous languages and create new markets for exporting the languages or expertise in the languages to the world. Tubosun is credited for his influential role in Google’s recognition and use of Yoruba language. Tubosun-led team at Google Nigeria was behind the Nigerian English voice/accent on Google platforms.