How Art Dubai 2019 Exposed Modern Space Challenge For Africa, Others

Gallery One (Ramallah), Art Dubai Modern, Art Dubai 2019. Pic: Courtesy of Photo Solutions.

As Art Dubai, in UAE, keeps expanding in its 13th year of existence, the Modern Galleries section of the yearly fair is raising challenge of sustenance. Such challenge, by extension, threatens visibility of modern African art and other regions' at such a global stage.

Since the creation of the Modern Galleries section of Art Dubai in 2014, some old masters of African descents, Middle East, South Asia have enjoyed quite a wide window for visibility. While the contemporary section of Art Dubai keeps increasing in numerical strength of galleries, the modern space shrinks every year.

In UAE, Sharjah's New Africa Institute Lays Foundation For Critical African, Diaspora Studies

Tejumola Olaniyan, Awam Amkpa and Olufemi Taiwo during the Africa Institute's event at Africa Hall, Sharjah...last week.

Unknotting the ties around the studies of African and diaspora knowledge,  scholars across disciplines gathered, courtesy of  Sharjah Art Foundation, in UAE, from March 12 -14, 2019. Themed Global Africa: African and African Diaspora Studies in the 21st Century and organised by The Africa Institute, inside Africa  Hall, Sharjah, over 20 presentations from scholars were dissected               
Although Sharjah is a next neighbour to the business hub city, Dubai, it keeps sustaining its quiet and conservative texture. This much was asserted by the just held Africa Institute's event. SAF, in the  global art lexicon is known for its critical appreciation and presentation of visual culture via the Sharjah Biennial, but has now added the maiden edition of the Africa Hall event in contributing to new narratives about African and diaspora studies.    

Okwui Enwezor (1963-2019)

Okwui Enwezor.

Few weeks after the death of Bisi Silva, another Nigerian-born international curator of repute, Okwui Enwezor, 55 is dead.

Based in the U.S., but worked mostly in Europe in the past one decade,
Enwezor had battle with cancer for several years. His resignation, mid last year, as artistic director of Munich, Germany-based Haus der Kunst museum was controversially linked to his health issue.

Today, 23 scholars open global 'African Studies' conference in UAE

Naminata Diabate, Dagmawi Woubshet Aliyyah Abdur-Rahman and moderator Tejumola Olaniyan during the last session of Day-1 at Africa Hall, Sharjah, UAE. 

The Africa Institute, Sharjah, UAE, opened its maiden event Global Africa: African and African Diaspora Studies in the 21st Century, an international conference ending on March, 14 2019 at Sharjah’s historic Africa Hall.

According to the organisers, the three-day conference will assess the current state of African and African diaspora studies and interrogate new theoretical approaches through a range of interdisciplinary perspectives.
                
The conference welcomes scholars in African and African diaspora studies from around the world to present papers in their respective disciplines towards the shared goal of evaluating the past, present and future iterations of their fields. 

'Next of Kin'... when future masters race for glory

Artists of Next of Kin, in Lagos... recently. Pic: c/o Thought Pyramid.

With six years of studio practice,10 artists are headed towards the future mastery of the canvas. Selected from over 100 entries, the young artists converge for a grand finale aimed at unearthing fresh talents for discerning art collectors.

Ikechukwu Ezeigwe, Alogi John, Julius Agbaje, Segun Fagorusi, Odibo Odiabhehor, Badru Taofeek, Ifeanyi Ugwoke, Olukotun Opeyemi, Edozie Anedu and Tobiloba Kareem are the young artists in the race for the future. Themed Next of Kin, the art competition, which is in second edition opens its 2019 grand finale on March 16, 2019 at Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The Next of Kin gathering, according to Thought Pyramid, seeks to bring to the fore untapped talents in the select artists and showcase them to the world "by offering an already established platform to hearten their creativity." Listed as benefits are: First prize carries four weeks residency, Second prize attracts N150,000 and Third place gets N100,000. The winners will be announced at the exhibition opening on the March 16, 2019.

Against odds, fourth Affordable Art Auction boosts market prospect

 'Strength of Purpose, oil on board, by Rom Ischei.

Despite the unfriendly economic environment of the first quarter of an election year, Affordable Art Auction 2019 recorded a slight increase in sales.

Hurriedly rescheduled to avoid being held on the new date of last general elections, Arthouse Contemporary's Affordable Art Auction, according to the results released by the organisers, recorded "a total of NGN 27,047,750 million from 97 lots" on sale. Last year's edition had 107 lots on sale and recorded N26, 668,000 million.

Stressing that The Affordable Art Auction aims to engage new collectors with all works of art estimated below one million naira, the auction house noted that as the sister edition to the May and November auctions, the Affordable Art Auction featured artworks that were scaled to accessible prices.

Mbari artists, Ehikhamenor, Kure to boost African modern, Contemporary at Art Dubai 2019

A drawing by Susanne Wenger, showing at Art Dubai 2019.

Five artists, whose trajectory have links to either 'Mbari' or 'Mbari Mbayo' of the 1960s Nigerian art, are among Africans showing at 2019 edition of Art Dubai, in UAE.

Being represented by London-U.K.-based Tafeta Gallery at the Art Dubai Modern, the 'Mbari' artists include Uche Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Muraina Oyelami, Jimoh Buraimoh and and an Austrian expatriate, Susanne Wenger. Nwoko, Oyelami and Buraimoh are the only living artists on the list. 


The 13th Art Dubai, which holds from March 20-23 at its traditional venue, Madinat Jumeirah is also featuring works of two other Nigerians in the Contemporary hall: Victor Ehikhamenor and Marcia Kure.

Artists against gender-violence celebrate Int'l Women's Day 2019

Drawing by Clara Aden titled 'Till Death Do Us Part'

Gender violence and other social conflicts form the base on which 13 female artists are celebrating  2019 International  Women's Day. From Nigeria, Cameroon and Republic of Benin, the artists are using their paintings and sculptures to draw attention to the increasing level of sexual violence against children and women in Africa.