2010 Fine Art Photography Workshop at CCA,Lagos

Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos in fulfillment of its objectives, has over the past 23months presented an innovative programme of exhibitions, talks, seminars, workshops and events reaching out to a local, African and global audience. We are pleased to present the 2010 programme, On Independence and The Ambivalence of Promise.

We start this landmark year for Nigeria and the African continent with an ambitious and innovative Fine Art Photography workshop focusing not so much on technique but on methodology, critical thinking, conceptual ideas and their implementation.

On independence – The Ambivalence of Promise celebrates in 2010, the 50th anniversary of independence from colonial rule of 17 African countries. The intellectual underpinning of the project questions the narrow framework of postcolonial critical thinking and ideas and considers dreams, realities and possibilities for (full/total) independence that have engaged people and communitites across languages, cultures and regions focusing on the concerns of gender, religion, nation buiding processes and aesthetics in theory and art. Working through guilt, self-analysis and rethinking the artificial correlation between nation states, the project suggests a new in depth approach reflecting on social concerns and questioning ones relationship to the larger totality.

This project is open to artists in Nigeria and around Africa working in all media - painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics, photography, video and new media, performance art, writing, theatre and dance. The workshop will be an intensive 30 day programme facilitated by experienced local and international artists, critics, curators starting on the 8th of February till 6th of March 2010

The content of the programme will be based on several components such as:

• Explore themes around Independence and the Post-Colony
• Discover methodologies and strategies for the development of your artistic practice
• 1-on-1 artist portfolio reviews of your work with leading local and international artists and curators
• Develop your critical thinking skills and explore ways of implementing them in your practice
• Engage with the history of photography and its conceptual dimensions
• Work will be featured in the final exhibition and publication

Workshop facilitators and guests speakers include leading professionals in their field: Phillipe Pirotte (Belgium/Switzerland) Heta Kuchka (Finland), Giovanni Carmini (Switzerland), Simon Njami (Cameroon),Tam Fiofori (Nigeria),Daniella Wennberg (Norway), Miriam Backstrom (Sweden),Jide Adeniyi Jones (Nigeria), Rosangela Renno (Brazil), Senam Okudzeto (Ghana), Mats Stjernstedt (Sweden), Carrie Schneider (USA), Elina Brotherus (Finland), Akinbode Akinbiyi (Nig/Ger)

Project Conceived and developed by curators Aura Seikkula (Finland) and Bisi Silva (Nigeria)

For additional information please contact Project Co-ordinatorAntawan Byrd E: antawan@ccalagos.org