ADA DIKE
The opening of the maiden edition of photography
exhibition, ‘Lagos Open Range 1’, took place on September 12, 2015 at
Goethe-Institut Nigeria, City Hall Catholic Mission Street, Lagos Island.
Curated by a renowned Nigerian photographer Abraham Oghobase, video artist
Jude Anogwih and supported by Goethe-Institut Nigeria, artists participating in
‘Lagos Open Range 1’ include Aderemi Adegbite, Enitan Adebowale, Tunji Lana,
Charles Otuke Ologeh, Logor Oluwamuyiwa, Andrew Esiebo, Rahima Gambo and
Jeremiah Ikongio.We learnt that the exhibition is primarily conceived to promote a new form of collaboration and presentation of photographs.
The Lagos photographic scene, according to the exhibition organizers, is idiosyncratic in outlook – more than any other African city. “Lagos is a city of contradictions that starkly highlights the paradoxes in life as well as in nature. Here artists, photographers, freely swap ideas on various themes that often embrace politics, the economy and religion. Every new day sees the birth of a ‘star’ keen to make their mark in the seething cauldron that they are thrust into. The artists are domiciled in the city and the city is their subject matter. The chosen themes are often impromptu, but with the passage of time these have become ‘classics’ in their own right. The ‘classical’ themes paved the way for collaborations with local and global partners, with the resultant exposures within and on the international scene.
“They poetically scrutinize significant dimensions of our realities in diverse genres, styles and perspectives.nIn addition to this, Goethe-Institut Nigeria is organizing two Workshops for professional photographers:
“Calin Kruse from dienacht Publishing will work on the designing of photobooks, and Michael Maria Müller (artificial eye print) and Benjamin Füglister (POPCAP) will present techniques for professional photo printing. These workshops are for selected participants only,” they explained.
Below are the works and explanations from the artists:
Bosnia Series by Adebowale Enitan
A Lagos based Fine Arts photographer, Mr. Adebowale
Enitan, is exhibiting his works, ‘Bosnia Series’ he done in 2012, which
documents the effects of the 1992-1995 Bosnian War. “The work is about the
effects of war, how it lasts overtime and how it affects the people and the
place even though the years have passed, the memory of what happened stays
around the people and stays around the buildings,” Enitan said.
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| Enitan |
Asked whether he travelled to Bosnia to do the work,
he said: “I went to Bosnia in 2012.” He explains what made him to take interest
in Bosnian War by saying that: “It was at a time I was studying in Geneva,
Switzerland so, it was an opportunity to go on a trip with some other
photographers and some other international students who were doing work in
International Relations. So I took the opportunity to experience a different culture,
to see a different environment and thankfully, I was able to come up with a
body of work I enjoyed. I came out with a different experience in a different
perspective. I actually saw the effects of the war first hand, not in a
magazine. I went there to see what happened.
“We spoke to some of the citizens and some mothers
who had lost their sons and husbands in the war. They told their experiences,
how they felt about it and what they were going through. A lot of them were
still shaking and sad about what happened. Some were able to move on while the
pain lingers in the lives of others. Some broke down in tears as they recounted
memories to us.”
Enitan studied Computer Science and Photography in
school. Basically, his Bonian project is complete so, he is currently trying to
do a documentary on upcoming musicians by trying to capture their moments as
they are entering their first concerts, getting their first record label or
trying to get experience. “It will be in form a photo-documentary.”
On the lesson he wants Nigerians to learn from his
work, Enitan said: “From the Bosnian war, there is a sense of isolation,
destruction and hopelessness. I want people to understand that there is always
a chance to talk about problems. Dialogue is the best option. We should not
wait until an issue becomes too hot before we address it. Always keep the lines
of communication open and it is also important for us to learn from our history
so that we don’t repeat the mistakes.”
Time-out
by Aderemi Adegbite
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| Adegbite |
A renowned photographer and video artist, Aderemi
Adegbite, has been an artist for five years now, taking photography and video
arts. The title of his work is ‘Time-out. “My new work is an archive which
tells a story about my uncle (on my maternal side). The reason I am imposing
myself on him is the fact that we have the same story and I am actually telling
my own story through his own. I chose him for this work because of the close
relationship between us. I have had his images for over four years and I didn’t
know what to do with it. We went for a festival so he brought those images and
I told him that I was taking them to Lagos to create some kind of archive with
them but, last year, I had depression and this depression led me to create the
work towards the tail end of depression which was for me, kind of liberation to
get relieved from the depression. Also, he was the breadwinner of the family
when he was young and he had a lot of money. Now, whenever we are together, he
is always telling me that he is not a happy man due to the fact my other uncles
are not supporting him now that he does not have money. He wasn’t the firstborn
but, I am the firstborn of my mother. I realized that my name, ‘Aderemilekun’,
which means ‘He has come to soothe my sorrow’ is what I have been doing all my
life. Even before I got into depression because, I was thinking of how to take care
of myself and others. So I realise that my uncle is the only person I can
connect with, because I don’t want to get old and start nagging or regretting.
So I see myself in his life. I want to get to his level and be satisfied being
able to take care of myself, my siblings and others. That is one part of the
story.
“On the other layer, it is about decolonization. I
am talking about self decolonization. I have to decolonize myself by my own
story and history. In knowing my history I know that if I follow the steps of
my uncle, I will make mistakes which I will regret in future when I get to his
age. But now, if I am able to decolonize myself, I would know that going that
way is not right. I have to do things for myself, think about future and save
for my future. That is decolonization on one side.
“Another aspect of decolonization is, as a
photographer, I have to decolonize myself to know my story and history for me
to be able to tell other people’s story. If I don’t know my personal story I
cannot tell your story. That is what I believe. As a photographer, you have a
lot of images. I want smile when I look into my system and see your photograph.
I want to smile because I know your story.
At times, those stories make you laugh or cry but, I want to be the one
that will feel those stories, I don’t want to see people in passing on my system
or my camera anymore.”
Other works from artists who were absent at the
opening of the exhibition among others include: View of Lagos, View of Abuja
and Ebute Metta area of the Mainland, Lagos.
The picture titled ‘Ukeria Israel’ talks about a
tailor and mother of two children who moved from Imo State to Abuja. She dreamt
of becoming a nurse as that has been her passion. Presently, she is doing
tailoring to support her family.
Oshodi
by Ologeh Otuke Charles
A visual artist, Ologeh Otuke Charles, is showcasing
his work, ‘Oshodi’. According to him, his work is like a documentary of the
space, Oshodi in Lagos, Nigeria. He pointed out that one of his works was done
during the 2006 census. “I took the photograph during the census that is why
nobody is on picture.”
Another of his works is a representation of what
goes on in the space. “I call this picture ‘Bend Down’. Ladies are busy picking
stuffs like clothes from the ground. A trader is displaying his market while
some people are discussing prices,. Said.”
There is another work he took within Oshodi market.
“The traders inside the market don’t go out to get food. Hawkers bring food,
water and so on to sell to traders.”
Lana
Black by Tunji Lana
Tunji Lana said his works are like the futuristic
imagining of places such as, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Akin Adesola in Lagos, Nigeria and
Stuttguart in Germany. “It is a Lagos we imagined and composed. Basically, that
is an attempt at what in forms these images. Also, I got tired of seeing
pictures of places -one dimensional, two dimensional. I wanted people to guess
to know if they will say, “This can’t be Lagos’. These are areas you pass
normally without really taking time to appreciate what they are and what they
could be.
“The concept exerts that the concept can be beyond
the ordinary and the subject, being the person, can see much more exercised or
trained vision. The project explores the concept of the new way or path of
endless possibilities to seeing things. I tried to emphasise the concept of
thinking outside the box. In summary, my work seeks to excite, provoke and challenge,
thereby engaging the public with diverse perspectives.”
Monochrome-Lagos
by Logor Oluwamuyiwa
Logor Oluwamuyiwa’s work is titled
‘Monochrome-Lagos’. According to Logor, it is a series of black and white photographs
on Lagos with a conscious decision to document the lines, the pattern and the
perspectives, people’s daily narratives and how they relate to the city and
vice versa in form of nuances and daily narratives that reflects the city
vibrancy and energy.
“Monochrome-Lagos is a visual tale of an artist’s
relationship with Lagos as muse and canvas. On days when her ironic generosity offers
less than $100 a weekly survival income in my attempt to fulfill a career as an
artist, Lagos is to me what New York was to Gary Winogrand and what Barcelona
and Paris meant to Picasso. Lagos like Napoli. “Napoli Be Eko” goes the gospel
according to fuji maestro, Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, one out of many of “us” the
romancers of a city famous for her manic ability to go from embarrassing zero
to impressive hundred in all its aesthetics, idiosyncrasies and masses –
Lagosians.
“it is a three-year project. The intention is to
continue for another ten years.”
On why he chose monochrome, he says, “Colour is a
default form of beauty. By natural aesthetics we can differentiate different
form of colour. We can interpret them in different forms and they jump at us.
It is like our everyday definition of what beauty is like. Lagos has been
photographed by many artists in colours and other forms, especially, its popular
yellow buses and others but, to add my own creative opinion into this database,
I thought, what if I shoot Lagos in Monochrome, will Lagos become ugly? So the intent
is to see what I find as a curious consciousness of photographing the city. So
far, it has been interesting! Monochrome work is a digital project. It is more
for the online presence. It is the feedback from the online platform that led
to this exhibition.”
Oluwamuyiwa worked in a real estate firm before
going fully into photography. Asked whether his craft pays his bills, he
answered in affirmative. “As a full time photographer, I take documentary
works, conceptual works and I do campaigns for small business.”
He studied Computer and Information Science.
The exhibition opens 10am-4pm daily from 12 to 26 September and on
appointments on weekends. |
| Abuja |
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| Abuja |
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