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