Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos Presents Identity:An Imagined State.

You are invited to

IDENTITY: AN IMAGINED STATE

Curated by Jude Anogwih and Oyinda Fakeye

Opening: Saturday, 31^st October 2009, 3pm
Exhibition continues till 28^th November, 2009

Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos is pleased to present the first international exhibition of Video Art in Nigeria Identity:An Imagined State, which constitutes the final part of a year long focus on the medium. In fulfilment of our objectives to provide a platform for artistic diversity and experimentation, CCA,Lagos focused on a specific medium over a twelve month period hosting a one week video art workshop with One Minute Foundation and a two week workshop Linha Imaginaria conceived by Angolan Artist Miguel Petchkovsky and co-facilitated with Camerounian artist Goddy Leye and Brazilian Artist Eustaquio Neves.

Identity: An Imagined State, brings together for the first time works by twelve established and emerging artists of different cultural, geographic and social backgrounds from Nigeria, Africa, and South America. The works consider from both local and global perspective, the issues around identity in relation to Africa. As a point of departure, the exhibition explores associations with the label ‘African’ and has been contextualized in a manner that reflects on, but without answering, ‘what or who is an African.’ By exploring these themes the exhibition tells the story of belonging, displacement, uncertainty, visibility and negotiation through the medium of video art.

Participating artists include Jude Anogwih(NIG), Lucy Azubuike(NIG), Uchay Joel Chima(NIG), LucFosther Diop(CAM), Bouchra Khalili(MOR/FR), Vanessa Padilla(ECU), Thando Mama(SA), Grace Ndiritu(KEN/UK), Emeka Ogboh(NIG), Berni Searle(SA), Aicha Thiam(SEN) and Kemang Wa Lehulere(SA).

Identity: An Imagined State is accompanied by a fully illustrated colour publication with insightful texts by Krydz Ikwuemesi, Miguel Petchkovsky, Goddy Leye, Solange Farkas, introduction by Bisi Silva and afterword by Antawan I. Byrd. (Forthcoming)

Public Programme

Identity: An Imagined State is accompanied by a innovative and engaging line-up of educational and artists development programmes including Artists' Talks, Panel Discussions, the well received P.A.G.E.S session organised by Aderemi Adegbite, writers workshop collaboration with WiAiA (Word into Art into Africa), several complementary video art screening sessions and a 2 day introductory video art workshop. Organised by Jude Anogwih and Oyinda Fakeye

CCA,Lagos' Video Art Programme has received generous support from the Prince Claus Fund and Mondriaan Foundation.

For more press information and images please contact Oyinda Fakeye oyinda@ccalagos.org

Gallery Opening Mon-Fri 12pm - 4pm
Sat by Appointment. Call 07028367106

Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos
9 McEwen Street, Sabo, Yaba, Lagos
www.ccalagos.org

Kunle Osundina exhibits at Quintessence from 31st of October 2009

Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story

Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

CCA,Lagos Presents Art21 Documentary Screening and Talk Sat 10th Oct 2pm: Also Last Chance to See Trash-ing

Saturday 10^th October 2009

Time 2pm

FINAL DAY FOR TRASH-ING EXHIBITION. DATE NOT TO BE MISSED.

Centre for Contemporary Art is pleased to host this exclusive event featuring the advance screening of Episode 1: COMPASSION from Season Five of the Peabody Award Winning Documentary Art:21 – Art in the Twenty First Century. Art21 partners with organisations worldwide to host events inspired by ART:21 Season Five premiering this October on PBS.

The Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos in partnership with Art21, Inc. as part of its Art21 Access ’09 initiative, presents a sneak preview of the fifth season of Art:21—Art in the Twenty-First Century, the only prime time national television series focused exclusively on contemporary art, on 10^th October at CCA,Lagos.

Episode 1: Compassion

This episode features artists whose works explore the possibility of understanding and reconciling past and present, while exposing injustice and expressing tolerance for others. South African William Kentridge, American Carrie Mae Weems and Colombia Doris Salcedo are featured.

A discussion will take place after the screening with artist Kainebi Osahenye, curator Bisi Silva and Fulbright Fellow Antawan Byrd highlighting the art practices, themes and concerns of the artists in the screening.

Art21 Access ’09 is an international screening initiative created to increase knowledge of contemporary art, ignite dialogue, and inspire creative thinking through hundreds of public screenings and events that tailor the ideas presented in the series to the interests and concerns of local audiences. The season premieres on PBS October 7th with a new episode each Wednesday. Through in-depth profiles and interviews, the four-part series reveals the inspiration, vision and techniques behind the creative works of some of today’s most thought-provoking artists.

Susan Sollins, Executive Producer of Art:21says “We hope that audiences will take full advantage of the events in their area and develop an understanding of the complex skills, techniques and knowledge that artists bring to their work. Our goal is that these events contribute to boosting the confidence of audiences worldwide to view and appreciate all art forms.”

Art21 Access ’09 events are presented in partnership with Americans for the Arts as part of National Arts and Humanities Month, the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation, held every October. An updated list of Art21 Access ’09 events and venues worldwide can be found at www.art21.org/access09.

ABOUT ART21

Over the past ten years, Art21 has established itself as the preeminent chronicler of contemporary art and artists through its Peabody Award-winning biennial television series Art:21—Art in the Twenty- First Century. The organization has used the power of digital media to expose millions of people of all ages to contemporary art and artists and has created a new paradigm for teaching and learning about the creative process.

Find Art21 on Facebook (facebook.com/art21) and Twitter (twitter.com/art21).

Reviews of recent art events in Lagos

First Impressions: Contemporary Photography in Nigeria
Antawan I. Byrd
234next October 4th 2009
On the occasion of two photography shows, I was eager to see the ways in which Nigerian photographers have employed, and continue to employ, photography within a miscellany of genres ranging from art and fashion to documentary and photojournalism.

Both exhibitions opened on Friday, September 25, 2009. These shows, the first at the Ben Enwonwu Foundation’s Omenka Gallery and the latter at the main gallery of the African Artists Foundation, are quite timely in that they collectively reveal that photographers in Nigeria are tenaciously exploring the medium’s dynamic nature and analytic potential.

Yet, both shows, having seen them in tandem, also manage to elucidate key opportunities for improving the caliber and fiber of Nigeria’s contributions to the global realm of contemporary art, particularly concerning photography. Read On...

A Lacklustre Art Expo
Bisi Silva
234Next. 25th September 2009
The second edition of the Art Expo initiated by the director of the National Gallery of Art, Joe Musa, and the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria, under the chairmanship of Frank Okonta, trailed off with little more than a murmur on August 31, 2009, after a week’s run. Read on...

A seven point Agenda for Art Expo
Bisi Silva
234Next 25th September 2009
Can the Art Expo have its own seven-point agenda that amalgamates government objectives and satisfies business concerns? Allow me to set the ball rolling. Read on...

Independence Day Activities 1st Oct 09 at CCA,Lagos

Whilst the country continues on in auto-pilot mode in the absence of any visible leadership, we at CCA,Lagos celebrated 49 years of Independence of our beloved country. The turnout was incredible, hosting a full house of the literati, art students, visual artists, gallery owners and visiting curators. A very mixed crowd indeed making for an charged but diverse conversation about art and literature in Nigeria and within a wider context.


Board Chair CCA,Lagos Joke Jacobs, Artist Kainebi Osahenye and Bisi Silva

Looks like YabaTech students in the audience. (pic 1)
Kainebi Oshahenye during his gallery talk. Dutch curator Jelle Bouwhuis of SMBA.(Pic 2)

Jess Castellote, Bisi Silva, Author Toni Kan, CCA,Lagos Board Chair Joke Jacobs

Cross Section of the audience.

Cross section of Audience. Bisi Silva flogging exhib catalogue as Antawan laughs on.

Adeyinka of Tafeta, Bisi Silva and artist Ndidi Dike. (pic1)
Artist/Lecturer Mike Omoighe talking to Giles Peppaiat of Bonhams (pic2)

Cross section of Audience. Richmond Ogolo Artistis and VP of
Art Galleries Assoc. Of Nigeria(AGAB) making a statement.