LEADING CONTEMPORARIES: IN CONVERSATION WITH IBRAHIM MAHAMA

SUNSDAY, 5 NOVEMBER


How do we resurrect the ghost of past events in times of crisis? Can our examination of failed revolutions help us to reframe crises as material for new art? These are just two of the questions that Ibrahim Mahama addresses through his multi-faced practice as an artist, which includes The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (Tamale, Ghana), the artist-run institution he founded in 2019.  Mahama will talk about the ideas and ethics that ground his work, including his notion of art as a catalyst for change when seen as a gift rather than a commodity.


Panelist: Ibrahim Mahama

Moderator: Missla Libsekal

WRITING FOR THE TIMES WITH PROFESSOR BRUCE ONOBRAKPEYA

SUNDAY, 5 NOVEMBER


Renowned for his contributions to African modernism, Bruce Onobrakpeya has been committed to the international dissemination of knowledge about Nigeria and Africa through art for over six decades, during which his practice of continual experimentation has yielded an oeuvre that explores the spectrum of “ideas about who we are [as a society]”, ideas informed by what the society experiences and imagines itself to be. Onobrakpeya, a UNESCO-designated living human treasure, discusses what it means to write and reinvent for the times.


Panelist: Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya

Moderator: Ifeoma Fafunwa

PANEL DISCUSSION: REIMAGINING PATRONAGE AS A FORM OF PRACTICE

SUNDAY, 5 NOVEMBER


Against the backdrop of ongoing economic and political uncertainties, what is the role of the collector? Does the collector remain the “greatest cog in the wheel of progress for the new artist,”[1] as declared by the late pioneering artist Uche Okeke? This discussion centers on the contemporary sphere of influence within which collectors operate and the manner in which their patronage can enliven the production of art.


Panelist: Femi Lijadu

Moderator: Ugoma Ebilah

WHO WILL GATHER UNDER THE BAOBAB TREE?

THURSDAY, 3 NOVEMBER


By 2050, a quarter of the world’s population will come from Africa, exclusive of the diaspora. Yet, amidst the positivity and ingenuity that emanates from the continent, Africa continues to operate under a crippling western hegemony that manifests itself in dysfunction across its 54 nations. How do we therefore draw on endogenous ways of being and doing so as to build an equitable future for all Africans and people of African descent? How might doing so inform our systems of governance, belief systems and approaches to collaboration? What is the role of powerhouse nations such as Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa vis-à-vis some of the smaller countries that are often overlooked? And indeed, what role does the diaspora play? And as we imagine this future, we must question who it is for, centring marginalised groups and, ultimately, the natural environment.

Panelists: Mamadou Diouf and Wanuri Kahiu

Moderator: Wale Lawal

ONCE UPON A GARDEN

SATURDAY, 5 NOVEMBER


Within the discourse on the climate emergency, it is clear which perspectives are lent prominence and from where they generally originate. The routine amplification of certain ideas is, we know, merely the logical outcome of the continued centralisation of the global north in knowledge production, and the consequent priority given to epistemologies from these regions. However, across the length and breadth of Africa exist a multitude of belief systems and practices that have centred and continue to centre the environment, in stark contrast to anthropocentric understandings of existence.

This conversation will examine artistic practices and productions that foster better connection with our planet and contribute to its protection and longevity. It will expand, in particular, on Linda Dounia’s digital installation, Once Upon a Garden, and Ranti Bam’s performance piece, Sowing Seeds in Hearthland, both of which were commissioned for this edition of the fair.

Panelists: Linda Dounia, Ranti Bam

Moderator: Bayo Hassan Bello

RHYTHM IS THE SOUL OF LIFE

SATURDAY, 5 NOVEMBER


“Where I come from we say that rhythm is the soul of life, because the whole universe revolves around rhythm, and when we get out of rhythm, that’s when we get into trouble” - Babatunde Olatunji.

Music, dance and performance have played an important role as acts of remembrance within African cultures for as long as recorded history, yet outside of the music industry, where is space allowed within the wider field of contemporary art discourse for these practices vis-à-vis this function of remembrance? Indeed, what can be learnt from these practices in this regard, and how do we underscore their value?

In spite of the uncertainties that rumble faintly beneath daily life on the continent, the flow and vibrancy of said life remains undimmed. This conversation will examine this flow through the lens of performance-based practices.

Panelist: Shingai

Moderator: Qudus Onikeku

LEADING CONTEMPORARIES: IN CONVERSATION WITH VICTOR EHIKHAMENOR

SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER


This conversation will take a deeper look at the artist’s special commission at ART X Lagos 2022, Ulin-nóifo, The Lineage That Never Ends, as a gateway to exploring the breadth of his multidisciplinary practice. Moderated by Tayo Ogunbiyi, the conversation will interrogate Ehikhamenor’s penchant for storytelling, specifically through the lens of Excuse Me!, composed of a collection of humorous essays. The conversation will also touch on narratives on bronze-making that extend beyond the restitution debate, and address the void that his work aims to fill in institutional collections. Notwithstanding considerations around the artist’s aesthetic principles and style, which often invokes the religious, thus inviting important questions around its commercialisation.

Panelist: Victor Ehikhamenor

Moderator: Temitayo Ogunbiyi

A GAZE, EVER YOUNG. IN CONVERSATION WITH JAMES BARNOR

In partnership with MOMA

SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER


With a career spanning six decades, across multiple continents, Ghanaian photographer James Barnor is one of the most celebrated photographers working today. Amongst his iconic portraits are intimate photographs of young Ghanaians on the cusp of independence; models posing on the streets of 1960s London; and the first president of a newly independent Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah. And yet, prior to the staging of the first solo exhibition of Barnor’s work in 2007, the discourse on 20th century photography in Africa had focused primarily on Seydou Keita, Malick Sidibe, Samuel Fosso and Sanlé Sory. Since then, however, it has become impossible to speak of African photography without including this Ghanaian heavyweight.

Moderated by Oluremi Onabanjo, a curator at MoMA, with contributions from Nigerian photographers Abraham Oghobase and Yagazie Emezi as interlocutors, this conversation offers an intimate insight into the life and career of one of Africa’s most prolific photographers.

Panelists: James Barnor

Moderator: Oluremi C. Onabanjo, Abraham Oghobase, Yagazie Emezi

CURIOSITY, PASSION, AND A DASH OF FORESIGHT: ON BUILDING AN ART COLLECTION IN AFRICA

Sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers

SUNDAY, 6 NOVEMBER


In many African belief systems, culture is thought of as something that people belong to rather than own. However, the global art market’s recent interest in the continent has heralded a dramatic increase in demand for works by African artists. And amid the frenzy has emerged a collecting trend among buyers near and far, whether buying as a hobby, investment piece or social asset. Yet this surge in interest would not be the first time the global art market has swayed trends, with the Chinese art market’s boom of the 90s, and bust in the 00s, as perhaps the most recent case study.

In conversation with Olufemi Akinsanya, a Nigerian art patron whose interests extend far beyond visual art and a collection spanning multiple centuries, this talk will explore the role of the sustainable art patron moving forward, with considerations on supporting artmaking practices that are not as self-evidently “collectible”.

Panelist: Olufemi Akinsanya

Moderator: Tobi Onabolu

Beyond Collecting: Building An Ecosystem

There has been a steady rise of collectors for whom it isn’t merely about building personal collections, but also about participating in a broader enterprise: the creation of a collective legacy. By establishing ambitious new art institutions and events, they propose new ways and models of engaging with contemporary art, successfully fostering interest among non-traditional audiences, thereby making art a more collective experience.

Panelists: Kavita Chellaram, Hakeem Adedeji, Prince Yemisi Shyllon and Marwan Zakhem

Moderator: Tokini Peterside

THE POWER OF THE ARCHIVE AND ITS LIMITS

In this talk, award-winning artist Kelani Abass, and museum director, curator and critic Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung engaged with archives, their potential, and their importance in the making of the future of the African continent. The conversation took from the artist Kelani Abass’s solo exhibition at the fair, Unfolding Layers of Time, where he proposed family archival materials as a means for history making.

Panelists: Kelani Abass, Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung

Moderator: Emmanuel Iduma

ART X LAGOS AND THE SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART PRESENT "TASTE! TRANSFORMATION"

[INVITATION-ONLY EVENT AT ALARA OR WATCH LIVE ONLINE]

SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER. 2PM WAT


Join visionary leaders transforming the institutions and structures that present African talent locally and internationally. From film to fine arts, these leaders are offering compelling new models of who gets presented -and by whom. Moderated by Tokini Peterside, this robust conversation will consider how to overcome media divides, build partnerships, and strategize for the future.


Panelists: Ngaire Blankenberg, Azu Nwagbogu, Chioma Onyenwe

Moderator: Tokini Peterside

THE FUTURE IS NOW

In this talk, David Alabo and Adéọlá Ọlágúnjú reflected on the meaning of the future of Africa, through their contributions to the Future Africa special project at the fair. This talk was moderated by Bukola Oyebode. 

Panelists: David Alabo and Adéọlá Ọlágúnjú

Moderator: Bukola Oyebode

ART X NFTS: SPECULATIVE FUTURES

More often than not when speaking about NFTs, the conversation tends to be shaped from an economical perspective. With historic sales records registered in the space, and a global trading volume that rose to an astonishing $10.7 billion during the 3rd quarter of 2021, this comes as no surprise. The NFT space is highly speculative, and incredibly fast paced, making it an object of fascination, and a difficult one to predict. Amidst such frenzy, it becomes necessary to stop and remember what was initially driving the conversation.

This discussion aimed at demystifying NFTs, and reframing the debate around meaning, intention and the creative drive that lies at the core of this revolution. It explored NFTs as a vehicle for experimentation and empowerment, presenting unparalleled opportunities for individual and collective growth, and creating avenues for creative ecosystems to thrive, including Africa’s. As creators, collectors, curators, what do we want from this revolution?


Panelists: Osinachi, Linda Dounia, Ade Adekola

Moderator: Maurice Chapot

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THE BLACK IN ART

Featuring collectors under the age of 50, this conversation explored the word ‘black’, and many of its inherent connotations, with respect to the visual art sector - its artists, patrons, and the nature of visual art itself.


Panelists: Deen Solebo, Nish McCree, Freda Isingoma, and Lola Ogunnaike.

Moderator: Tokini Peterside

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COLLECTING LIVE!

Sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Pensions

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