Banu So, oil and acrylic on canvas, 84 inches by 60 inches, 2020-2021
If I were to curate an exhibition of African art at this point in time, I would explore these five themes as a matter of precedence:
Sociopolitical and geopolitical commentary;
Post-COVID realities;
Commentary on capitalism and consumerism, and their associated culture;
Gender and familial relationships and values;
Didactics on specific social issues.
I am interested in these topics for several reasons: each of them have expansive subject matter, and these five categories embody critical issues of engagement for Africans at home and abroad. Contemporary African artists have always been at the forefront of communicating their ideas and reflecting those of their societies in a rich and continued ritual of documentary. It is only fair enough that contemporary curators meet these artists halfway to push forward the vital narratives for education and reeducation of Africans and everyone else.
Sociopolitical and geo-political commentary
Arguably the biggest factor that affects the quality of lived experiences of the African home and abroad is politics. A lot of people have ideas of how the polity in their communities influence them, but little is known about what their roles in leadership are. A great need is upon us for education on what leadership really means and how the average man can participate both on a personal level and in a communal sense. There is a marked departure from how we led our lives as a people historically. As a curator, I believe that there’s a need for a resurgence of the narratives of creatives as touching on the values that define us.
There is also the question of geopolitics. We live in a globalized world. The effect of policies and tensions are felt across cultures; it is interesting to cast a gaze upon how Africans are affected and what roles we play in the global geo-political conversation. Creatives speak extensively through their works of art about subjects like migration, racism, class etc from an African perspective. It is important for us in the creative industry to continue to highlight these thoughts and to also chart a course for coherence of cultural thought.
Post-COVID realities
The world has been very fast-paced, especially in the 21st century. This pace was dulled temporarily by the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant lockdowns, but things have since picked up speed. The alarming thing to note, however, is that humanity seems to have missed out on the lessons that ought to have been learnt. As General James Mattis, former US defense secretary puts it, “In rather breathtaking speed the pandemic has upended things like you say, pushing our planning horizons it seems almost to nothing. We're flying blind into some very, very uncertain future that's out there.” The African needs to know where he fits in the scope of things and how to manage this new normal filled with uncertainties. This is notwithstanding the fact that Africa has generally been mired in the most uncertain of circumstances economically, culturally etc. we have been trying to make strides in the right direction to solve our problems, but with the new normal looming before our consciousness we have to be more critical in the ways we look at and engage with our world. Artists, of course, have interesting takes on how we are dealing with these challenges, as well as their own ingenious ideas on moving forward. It would be interesting to have those perspectives documented.
Capitalism and consumerism
We have two main narratives stemming from capitalism in Africa: the historical narrative embedded in imperialistic tendencies and a contemporary narrative which requires us to be very objective in our analysis of and engagement with this model of business. Sub-themes such as African consumer culture, the resource curse, and Africa’s evolving role in the ever expanding global economy are worthy of notable consideration. I think money, how it is made and how it is spent in Africa are very important topical issues. Our psychology in relation to money is also very important to discuss. A good case in point is the current fiscal crisis in Nigeria and how it is tied to every facet of our lives. It is important for the sake of enlightenment to document how artists are engaging in this important conversation.
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| Constellations in my compound, oil and acrylic on canvas, 48 inches by 60 inches, 2022 |
Gender and familial relationships
The basic building block of any society is the family unit. It is no news that this unit has been under threat the world over, and Africans need to develop stronger family setups. Creatives have numerous stories to share based on identity borne out of family relationships. These stories are not only suitable for literary stimulation but also for cultural instruction on how we can take a leaf from these stories to build stronger family structures. The feelings of love, pain, loss, joy, grief etc are at the core of the human experience. I believe that highlighting them will help to not only instruct us but to also validate these experiences in us. I also consider a documentation of the thoughts and ideals of women and advocates of women’s rights to be of utmost importance. I think we have not properly explored these ideas from enough perspectives. Social issues such as gender dynamics in the home and workplace, gender based violence etc need more light shed upon them.
Specific social Issues
From time to time, specific social issues will come to the fore and will need intense creative engagement as a response. Nina Simone opines that ‘it is the responsibility of artists to reflect the times’ and I think this is very important. A good example of this is the response of artists to the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements in the not too distant past, and the possible reactions of Nigerian artists to the current unrest due to fuel scarcity, currency scarcity etc in the country.