Art Twenty-One showcases the latest collection of Nigeria’s leading female artist, Ndidi Dike which capture the collective experience of quarantine and isolation, globalisation, consumption and market culture in the light of COVID-19 pandemic. Yinka Olatunbosun reports
Face masks, goggles, gloves, hand sanitizer and medical valves for vaccines are just a few of the plastic residue that the current global health crisis breeds. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic waste had been one of the concerns of many environmentalists.
During the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, it was noted that up to 12 million tonnes of plastics are being swept into the oceans annually and gyres, also known as ‘islands of plastic’, are evolving. But for the Nigerian leading female sculptor and multi-disciplinary artist, Ndidi Dike, these obstacles to cleaner earth might as well be raw materials for her art pieces.
As the pandemic enters into its third wave in different parts of the world, Dike unravels a powerful visual commentary on the complexity of humanity and societies under the siege of COVID-19 in her latest solo exhibition. Titled ‘Working Through An Impasse,’ the show opened last Friday at Art21 Gallery, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island Lagos. The works at the show constitute a varied and complex response to challenges brought about by the pandemic.
“Not only did the virus bring the engines of global capitalism to an abrupt halt, it has also eroded the myth of the West’s invincibility,’’ Dike, the 1984 graduate of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka began. Caught in the whirlwind of the lockdown in 2020, she jettisoned the idea of a solo show, recalibrated to parade iconic installations and mixed media pieces that are historical signposts.
“In this new body of work, I respond to the collective experience of quarantine and isolation, inequities surrounding sanitation and health, recent histories of racial and political upheaval, and the exploitation of natural resources and human labour,” she continued.
Remarkably, ‘Taking Stock,’ a plastic-themed installation was made from empty medical valves for vaccines. A product of the artist’s keen observation of the Lagos Island design and topography, the floor masterpiece visualises urban migration, mass production and interconnectivity.
“The individual effort resembles the mass movement of people and the mass production of therapeutics like I mentioned. It evolved naturally as I was watching how vaccines were being made on automated assembly lines that called to mind the movement of people across the cities all over the world. Even the story behind corona is layered. The narratives are layered so I also want to transfer that into the actual work,’’ she explained, occasionally casting a side glance at the piece.
‘Residues of Provoking Dissents’ projects noticeable decay element that is metaphorical for the nature of the Nigerian state that the series allude to. Dike appropriates political posters from various political campaigns trails. For the electorates, the daily realities of poor infrastructure, lack of access to quality healthcare, rise in insecurity amongst others are the ingredients for societal decay. Dike conveyed that sense of decay by aging and manipulating the materials. In the colourful installation titled, “Building Blocks of Desire and Consumption,” she infuses the Uli colour schemes on fuses, radiator covers, lighters and more.
“I am always referencing natural resources be it cobalt from Congo or oil from Nigeria. A lot of resources that are taken from the continent are fed to the industrial global north and other continent,’’ she remarked. The works are pointers to the concept of resource curse- that is, a situation where naturally-endowed countries lack economic growth.
With the ‘Quarantine Ward,’ Dike reimagined the quarantine unit as a sober, quiet, lonely place. “The interesting thing about coronavirus is that it actually exposes the inadequacies of our healthcare system not only in Nigeria but all over the globe,’’ she added.
In a similar way, ‘Luxury of Distance, Empathy and Apathy,’ comprising handwashing plastics attempts to model and reconstruct the history of modern healthcare in Nigeria, focusing on the aesthetics of the era of the 60s and 70s wards and their visual correspondence to contemporary spaces designed for quarantine. The work raises questions about the efficacy of social distance practice, the scarcity of sanitation resources and the inadequacies of local authorities to ensure the health and safety of the nation. The show runs till September 25.
