There are few countries in Africa that are as leading in the contemporary art scene as Nigeria. In 2024, as Africa aims to break the decades-long trend of underrepresentation at the Venice Biennale, all eyes will be on the West African country for its ambitious second-ever national pavilion, along with first-time participants Benin and Morocco. whose presence has been hailed as “a milestone for the continent”.
Aindrea Emelife, the 29-year-old curator of the Nigerian pavilion, does not take the responsibility lightly. “It is extremely important – for Nigeria, for Africa. I feel like we are on the cusp of something – politically and culturally,” says Emelife, promising that the pavilion will “embrace the unexpected,” “show who we are” and “remove scary stereotypes.” shake off’.
Sunshine Alaibe, creative director of Art Report Africa, a hub for visual arts and culture in Nigeria, says artists, designers and filmmakers from the continent are making their way onto the global stage. Events such as Art .
Azu Nwagbogu, the Nigerian curator of the Benin Pavilion, said: “The simultaneous participation of Benin and Morocco, two countries with a rich artistic history, marks a milestone for the continent.
“Benin’s signature visa-free, open-borders policy, a rarity on the continent, has sparked a cultural renaissance for Africa,” he adds. ‘The nation, under president [Patrice] Talon’s leadership is at the forefront of the ambitious restitution movement and is taking a leading role in shaping the arts and cultural landscape across the continent.”
We refute what the colonial project tried to do: disconnect us from our culture. Instead, we embrace it
Aindrea Emelife, art curator
Emelife has put together an impressive line-up for the Nigerian pavilion, including British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare and Nigerian-American visual artist Toyin Ojih Odutola, as well as ‘rising art world star’ Precious Okoyomon, although only one – the London-born Ndidi Dike – is present. based in Nigeria.
“Across all corners of culture, from the rise of Nollywood in film, to the global dominance of Afrobeats, from our large number of Nigerian authors, to our international culinary experimentation and of course an international focus and passion for contemporary art, Nigeria is thriving because in In these many ways, creatives look back and within themselves and imagine a future,” says Emelife. “We are refuting what the colonial project tried to do: disconnect us from our culture. Instead, we embrace it, reimagine it and bring it to the world.”
The theme of the pavilion is Nigeria Imaginary because, says Emelife, “imagination is the most fertile and powerful tool for liberation that we possess.”
“How do you imagine a nation? Can we make a modern-day parable? These are some of the questions that arose when I started thinking about how to articulate such a diverse nation,” she says, adding that “optimism and belief in the future are embedded in the Nigerian psyche.”
“The Nigerian Pavilion hurls the viewer towards an optimistic future through the winds of history – an optimistic past, a troubled present and a representation of a Nigeria that could have been and of many Nigerias living in ours.”
Related: Nollywood moment: African film industry ‘could create 20 million jobs’
Emelife is the curator of modern and contemporary art at the highly anticipated Museum of West African Art (Mowaa), located in Benin City, Nigeria, which will open in phases from the end of 2024. Christie’s and the Mowaa worked together last year to raise money for the Nigerian pavilion, where works include Shonibare and British-born Tunji Adeniyi-Jones.
The 60th edition of the Venice Biennale, running from April 20 to November 24, is led by Adriano Pedrosa, Brazilian curator and director of the São Paulo Museum of Art, and explores the idea of Stranieri Ovunque, or Foreigners Everywhere, which evokes the concept of no borders, “a world filled with multiple crises concerning the movement and existence of people in different countries”. Britain is represented by Ghanaian-born artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah, who moved to England at the age of four.
The Benin Pavilion will feature four artists: Mofouli Bello, Chloé Quenum, Ishola Akpo and Romuald Hazoumé, who will tackle the theme Everything Precious Is Fragile. “This theme provides a lens through which we can navigate tragic historical events such as the transatlantic slave trade and the resistance against it through the courage of Agojie, Dahomey Amazons,” says Nwagbogu, referring to Benin’s elite female warriors.
Nwagbogu, who founded the African Artists’ Foundation in 2007 and is director of the LagosPhoto Festival, recently visited the High Priest of Vodoun at his palace in Ouidah. “He had a memorial wall with portraits of past ancestors [and] in the middle of that memorial wall was a framed photo of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and Breonna Taylor,” he says.
“It was a moving moment. He was visibly emotional when we talked about the violence against African Americans in the United States.”
The pavilion’s theme “involves grappling with the pressing issues of our time: ecology, climate change, biodiversity loss and the wisdom of learning from nature and our ancestors to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” says Nwagbogu.
Four art events that you should not miss in Africa in 2024
• 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (February 8-11): The fair showcases contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora in Marrakech, Morocco. Touria El Glaoui, the founder and director, says her goal is “to contribute to a global narrative that recognizes Africa’s central role in the contemporary art landscape.”
• Investec Cape Town Art Fair (16-18 February): The curatorial theme for the 2024 edition of Africa’s largest art fair is Unbound, and will focus on emerging and ‘unbound’ voices. “Art becomes a compelling catalyst in the midst of global challenges. It provides individuals with a platform for expression, a space where diverse voices can be heard,” say the organizers. The 2024 show will feature 112 exhibitors represented from 24 countries, with more than 400 exhibiting artists representing 54 different nationalities from around the world.
• The Dakar Biennale (May 16 to June 16): The biennial, known as Dak’Art, is a major contemporary art exhibition that debuted in 1996 and opened to non-African nationals in 2014. The biennale includes painting, graffiti, photography and textiles. This year’s biennial is curated by art critic and composer Salimata Diop.
• ART Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, the founder of ART Our uniqueness and strength lies in our ability to gather a broad spectrum of artistic voices on one stage, ranging from respected non-agenarian artist and prominent collectors to the hottest new musical talents in Africa.”