ARTS & REVIEW
After last year’s virtual edition, ArtX Lagos returns to its physical venue at the Federal Palace Hotel in a show of resilience in the face of the pandemic. Yinka Olatunbosun reports.
The reverberating sound from Falana’s electric guitar was a reminder of what everyone had missed when all public gatherings were cancelled, no thanks to Covid-19. A lover of arts, Falana reawakened emotions and positive vibes in a small gathering inside GAIA house, Victoria Island Lagos made up of a predominantly young audience- mostly clad in black. Falana’s cuban-inspired music was a balsam for a mourning city- perhaps one of the skills she had learnt from her days in Havana where she studied music. A handful of guests came in with their glasses of margaritas, adding to the espanol experience. Influenced by African music particularly from the likes of King Sunny Ade, Fela, Lijadu Sisters, as well as western parallels found in Erykah Badu, Lauren Hill, Falana is a thoroughbred music dynamite. It’s one thing to have a great voice and another to be a skilful singer. Clearly, Falana is a master of her own voice, singing her way right into hearts on the beautiful night that ushered in ART X Lagos.
How she evokes the memory of Amy Winehouse with the way she hit her notes! Falana perfects the art of connecting with her audience with this call and response track with the hook, “Don’t care where we’re going.’’ The soulful love song got a ‘’Sing-it-again’’ call from the house. Instead, Falana serenated her bewitched audience with “Energy.’’
The lyrics of her songs resonate with the works on the surrounding walls that paraded works from Lemi Ghariokwu, Ada Godspower, Uthman Wahab, Ayanfe Olarinde, Elizabeth Ekpetorson, Abba Makama, Yagazie Emezie in a show called ‘The Rising Exhibition.’ Curated by Falana and Oyinda Fakeye, the project is a synergy of music and visual narratives trailing the release of Falana’s new EP with the title, ‘Rising.’ The special installation concert is one of the opening events for ART X Lagos at the satellite venue on November 4. Each track has a corresponding artwork interpretation. The song ‘Paper Planes’ was reimagined by Olarinde, Sholola gave life to ‘Energy,’ Ekpetorson painted “Wishing on Star”, Ghariokwu captured ‘Joy’ on miniature canvas and Makama told the story of “Casanova.’’
Founded by Tokini Peterside, the ART X experience is richly fortified with the inclusion of digital art in response to the surge in digital art market in Nigeria. With the NFT Studio, ART X Lagos is determined to support this revolution, especially one that can be such an empowering tool for African artists. For this year’s physical and online art fair, ART X Lagos presents a carefully curated mix of diverse and inspiring digital artists from across the African continent and the diaspora. Organised in partnership with SuperRare, and its community of creators and collectors, the exhibition presents artists from varied countries such as Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Senegal and more.
With this project Art X Lagos provides visitors with a glimpse into the future of art-making and collection on the continent, whilst highlighting the enormous potential of NFTs in the development of Africa’s creative ecosystem.
Also, a selection of twelve limited edition prints of some of Grillo’s masterpieces-considered to be the first-ever showing since the loss of this modernist artist- is yet another grand attraction to the fair. For the first time, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art is reliving the Smithsonian experience in Lagos in partnership with Art X. The multisensory experience called ‘24 Hours of the Smithsonian in Lagos’ dubbed ‘Taste’ marks the end to Art X today. Curated by a former Smithsonian Artist Research Fellow, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, it includes works of the sound artist Emeka Ogboh, photographer Ike Ude and chef Renee Chuks. Under the direction of the newly appointed director of the museum, Ngaire Blankenberg, the show is opening up the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art to international audiences especially those found on the African continent.
Titled ‘Forward Ever’ the 2021 Art X Live edition features new commissions by visual artists Fez and AMKMQ, accompanied by live performances from Lojay, AYLØ and Dami Oniru with music produced by Pheelz and BigFoot.
AMKMQ, whose work deals with her own utopic state of being, will create a multi-media work from the perspective of her “hybrid, sub-cultured, mutt Self”. Fez, whose work deals with collage and piecing together varying visual references, will create a video that speaks to these themes of hybrid utopias. Focusing on the concept of radical optimism, both artists will create art that speaks to what their ideal contexts look like. The ART X Prize was created to further the careers of emerging Nigerian artists who have demonstrated a commitment to working as professional visual artists. The 2021 edition of the Access Bank ART X Prize for emerging artists saw multi-dimensional visual artist Chigozie Obi emerge as the winner from a pool of five finalists.
The 2021 edition of the Access Bank ART X Prize for emerging artists was won by the multi-dimensional visual artist Chigozie Obi. Her site-specific project is at the main venue of the fair, provoking curiosity as well as conversations.
