Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos presents Àsìkò at Dak’Art 2014

CCA, Lagos presents in collaboration with Synergie Contemporaine, Dakar, Àsìkò, the fourth edition of its international art programme under the title A History of Contemporary Art in Senegal in 5 Weeks as part of the OFF at the 11th Dakar Biennale. In 2010, CCA, Lagos began an innovative programme with the aims of filling a gap in the art education curricula in Nigeria and other African countries, which tend to ignore the critical methodologies and histories that underpin artistic practice. Using the format of part art laboratory, part residency and part informal art academy, over the course of 35 intensive days The History of Contemporary Art in Senegal in 5 Weeks will focus partially on technique and primarily on methodology, critical thinking, and the implementation of conceptual ideas as well as the development and role of curatorial practice. 

Above: Kwasi Ohene-Ayeh, "S.A.F.P.A. (Six and Four:Prison Anxieties)," 2013. Installation detail, Chale Wote Street Art Festival, Accra, 2013. Courtesy the artist.

At the end of the 2013 Àsìkò, The Archive: Static, Practice and Embodied held in Accra, the participants provocatively titled their final project, A History of Contemporary Art in Ghana in the Last Five Weeks. Was this gesture an attempt to indicate that the complex history of contemporary art practice in Ghana could be broached within the temporal period allotted—five weeks? Certainly such an elaborate history condensed and absorbed in the space of 35 days, or 840 hours, is subject to questioning. Despite its inevitable sentiments of reductiveness, the title nonetheless provided a space of examination and reflexivity, a space in which to dwell on the effects of time and its potential in tune with the central theme of "The Archive."

Acquiring Modernity: Kuwait's Pavilion at the 14th Venice International Architecture Biennale

Commissioned by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, Kuwait’s pavilion at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia will take place from June 7 to November 23. Housed in the Arsenale, Acquiring Modernity is Kuwait’s second participation after Kethra, which debuted at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition in 2012. 

Alia Farid, "A composite image of Princess Diana's anticipated
visit to the Kuwait National Museum," 2014.

Under the supervision of deputy commissioner Zahra Ali Baba and the creative direction of artist-curator Alia Farid, Acquiring Modernity will address the exhibition’s overarching theme of 100 years of modernity from 1914 to 2014. The pavilion will explore symbols of modernity in Kuwait’s architecture, with a special focus on Michel Ecochard’s Kuwait National Museum, designed in 1960 and completed in 1983. 

Representing Kuwait at the Biennale Architettura 2014 is a team of 21 individuals engaged in diverse areas of research: Aisha Alsager, Dana Aljouder, Sara Saragoça Soares, Hassan Hayat, Nesef Al Nesef, Noora Al Musallam, Amara Abdal Figueroa, Gráinne Hebeler, Abdullah AlHarmi, Samer Mohammed, Nima Algooneh, Liane Al-Ghusain, Adel Al-Qattan, Wafa’a Al-Fraheen, Dalal Al-Sane, Noura Alsager, Maysaa Almumin, Cherihan Nasr, Fatema Alqabandi, Alaa Alawadhi, and Ghazi Al-Mulaifi. 

The pavilion will also feature collaborations with filmmakers Shakir Abal and Oscar Boyson, graphic design duo Dexter Sinister, and artist Abdullah Al-Awadhi.  Accompanying the pavilion is a research publication available in English and Arabic, a film set for release in November, and a joint installation with the Nordic Pavilion. 

For more detailed information about the curator, participants, or the pavilion, visit website: www.acquiringmodernity.com. 

London's Film Africa Festival | November 1 - 11

Film Africa is back this November with a new range of educational, family, and art events alongside an engaging film programme. Known as the UK's largest annual festival of African cinema and culture, the festival runs for 10 days with 70 African films, 35 leading filmmakers offering Q & A's and 8 African music nights.

Above: The Three Furies

Above: Thula

Above: The Godfather

The film festival is hosted by the Hackney Picturehouse as well as The Ritzy in Brixton, the Rich Mix in Shoreditch, the BFI Southbank, Screen on the Green in Islington, and the South London Gallery. For more on the Film Africa festival, visit www.filmafrica.org.uk.

Africa Weekend | Deloitte Ignite

This year's Deloitte Ignite, entitled Africa Weekend, is curated by critically acclaimed artist Yinka Shonibare. His vision for Deloitte Ignite 2012, Africa Weekend, is a celebration of traditional African and avant-garde arts and culture, expressing Africa’s global contribution to the contemporary arts world. Africa Weekend is hosted at the Royal Opera House in London, England.

Highlights include an exhibition of contemporary instruments made by Victor Gama, African cinema, dance performances, and photography. Special guest for the evening concerts include Tony Allen contributed to the creation of the Afrobeat sound, and Radio 1xtra's DJ Edu.

Watch the video preview:

For more details on Deloitte Ignite's Africa Weekend, click here.

A Summer of Art in Ghana | Nima Muhinmanchi Art

NMA is an art workshop program designed to empower youth in Nima, Accra (Ghana) to engage in the arts creatively, educationally and vocationally. Local artists mentor promising junior high school students in Nima in the arts. This year, NMA held an arts festival in Kawkudi Park, where students exhibited their work to the public and beautified their community. I was able to attend the final event at Alliance Francaise, where the art pieces were exhibited in a silent auction.

Above: At the NMA Exhibition hosted at Alliance Francaise

Above (left to right): Robin Riskin (NMA Project Director) and guest

Above: Guests admire the artwork created by the NMA artists

For more on NMA visit http://www.facebook.com/nimaart.gh/info or contact NMA on twitter via http://twitter.com/NMAart.

Swaziland | MTN Bushfire Festival

MTN Bushfire presents its annual internationally acclaimed music and arts festival, held at House on Fire. This year's lineup of featured artists include Ayo, Flavia Coelho, Saul Williams, and Bholoja.

Each year, the three-day festival attracts an audience of about 20 000 people who participate in the festivities featuring live music, theatre, poetry, film, dance and visual arts from around the globe. At the core of the festival, is a commitment to inspiring and developing the Swazi arts and cultural scene, while raising awareness and funds to tackle the most pressing social needs in Swaziland.

 The festival will take place from May 25 - 27, 2012. Visit Bushfire online for tickets and more information.

Infecting the City: A Public Arts Festival | March 6th - 10th 2012

Image via Creative Cape Town

One recurring question still debated today has been the classification of public art. Sometimes called graffiti or street art, the answer to whether public art should be allowed or even accepted as art, is often based on one's interpretation of the role that public art plays in our societies. In Cape Town, this issue is being explored by Infecting the City, an upcoming Public Arts Festival. 

Creative Cape Town has been also tackling the issue in Cape Town, South Africa and has published some interesting articles on the topic. Check out the articles, Public Art or Public Nuisance, Public Art or Public Nuisance: What's the Public Opinion?, and Public Eye on Public Art. For more news on the creative scene in Cape Town, visit the Latest Stories page.

Infecting the City, the Public Arts Festival will run from March 6 - 10. For more information, visit Infecting the City online.

Accra[dot]Alt

Accra[dot]Alt is an organization of filmmakers, writers, musicians, intellectuals, painters, performance artists, activists and designers, who are united by a desire to be different. The organization recently organized the Chale Wote Street Art Festival.

During my visit to Ghana, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending a discussion-based gathering of artists, musicians, art enthusiasts at a Talk Party, organized by Accra[dot]Alt. The event was a delightful mix of great music and conversation. The video below features highlights from the evening. 

 

For more information on Accra[dot]Alt, visit their website, or their Facebook page.