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Whose Centary Public Art Project...Pdf ~T 8/3/2017 Professor Adepeju Layiwola Department of Creative Arts University of Lagos, Nigeria Date Change: Presentation and Exhibition to hold September 1- 30, 2017 At the Mbari Institute, Washington DC, Dear Professor Layiwola, It is with great pleasure that we invite you to present your paper and slides of your 2014 project titled "Whose Centenary? Art at the Intersection of History" at our annual event at the Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art. The exhibition will extend till the end of September as we hope to be able to move the exhibition to a gallery in Atlanta. Please disregard our earlier announced date of 1-8 August, 2017. We apologize for any inconvenience the date change may have caused. You will be expected to arrive early enough for setup. We eagerly look forward to the contribution your esteemed scholarship will make to this important academic event here in Washington DC. Looking forward to receiving you! My warmest greetings! Sincerely, Mimi Wolford Executive Director Mbari Institute for Contemporary African Art 202 244-6094 5319 Potomac Ave. NW Washington, DC, 20016 Mbari [email protected] Whose Centenary? Public Art Project as an Expression of Colonial Memory- Paper presented at the Mbari African Art conference and Exhibition, Washington DC, 7 September,2017 Introduction On the occasion of the declaration of the constitution of the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, on January 1, 1914, Lord Lugard, Governor-General, announced the amalgamation of both the North and South Provinces of Nigeria. The year 2014 marked the centenary of this proclamation and presented a need for some form of celebration. Therefore, in 2013, former President Goodluck [onathan flagged off activities to mark a year-long commemoration of this centennial year. Much as this symbolized an important era in the history of the country, the 2014 proclamation in no small measure redefined the British-led structure which further entrenched colonial rule in what became Nigeria. The agreement for the amalgamation of both Provinces was done without the input of the people who later became known as Nigerians. In its commemoration, a centenary logo and song were created as well as a number of events. These included a state banquet for past Heads of State organized by the Nigerian government. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim emphatically stated: 'The celebration is not only desirable but imperative because of the landmark achievements the country has recorded in the last 100 years since its amalgamation". To reiterate this view, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, who presented the theme song of the event, noted that despite the challenges Nigeria had faced in the last 100 years, 'there is every reason to celebrate in song and dance as one nation. Indivisible Nigeria has come to stay", While the coming together of past Heads of States and Presidents of Nigeria to celebrate this event may have been suggestive of unity and integration and indicative of a more positive outlook on the future of Nigeria, there were dissenting voices about the centenary commemoration. The commemoration came under strong criticism. Oloja described the event as a 'grandiloquent celebration of mediocrity's. His judgment is based largely on the clear absence of historical documents and documentaries on Nigeria. He further contrasts the effort of the Federal government with that of the Rivers State government who produced an edited volume titled 'Port Harcourt at lOO' by the famous historian, Professor E. Alagoa. OIoja laments; 'It is a world-class document. Why didn't the presidency borrow a leaf from this worthy effort?". 1 Research work on the Whose Centenary? Project is funded by the Central Research Grant of the University of Lagos, 2014. My gratitude goes to all the theatre students who participated in the performances. These include Aribisala Ayobarni, Bare Mitchel, Mbanu Uche, Adesolanke Teni, Awe Ebunoluwa, Daniel- Onyegbula Ihuorna, Ude Norbert, Sowemimo Jimi, Awoniyan Toba, Sokan Oreoluwa, Okeke Stanley, Okunmah Alexander and Adedeji Ibukun. My special thanks to Jean Borgatti, Josephine Abbe, Alao Lukman, Taiwo Alabi and Titilayo Adebayo. 2 Ben Agande (2013) Why We Must Celebrate by President [onathan, Sunday Vanguard February 10, P. 17 3 ibid. P. 17 4 Martins Oloja (2014) Centenary: Not so Grand Finale], Centenary Commemorative Edition, The Guardian, Wednesday March 5. P.l a,lbid.P.3 1 Conceptualising Whose Centenary? In partaking in this fiesta of activities, the Whose Centenary? Project was birthed as an artist engagement devoid of governmental involvement. The project envisions Nigeria as a country with diverse cultural expressions worthy of celebration. However, in defining the 100 years of Nigerian history, it deemphasizes the fanfare that characterized the larger celebration in the country. The project was to bring together artists to interpret and highlight a more conceptual understanding and contextualization of Nigeria in the last 100 years. It opens with a rhetorical question and throws up further questions: Of what necessity is the commemoration of this British construct now known as Nigeria? How does this construct define the identity of the people subsumed under it, particularly when viewed against the background of the myriad problems that exist in Nigeria today? Does 1914 and the attendant amalgamations hold as much weight as 1960, a date that heralded freedom from British rule? Does the commemoration of the amalgamation not provide a basis for the celebration of colonialism? In discussing amalgamation, it became difficult to separate colonialism and the motive of amalgamation itself. Olawale Albert (2014; 111) opines: During the colonial period, Europeans arrogated a lot of power to themselves and excused all they did around the need to civilize Africans. Indeed, much of what the colonial masters did was simply to advance the main goal of colonialism which is to exploit the colonial state for the metropoles, One cannot but agree with this view in the light of the racist views and comments made by Lord Lugard, the key proponent of amalgamation. Whose Centenary? picks on a different register of history- to commemorate the passing of Oba Ovonranmwen, the King of Benin, who stood against British imperialism in the defence of his kingdom. His exile to Calabar in 1897, and his eventual passing in 1914 during exile, became a new way of positioning history in the context of the commemoration of amalgamation. The Whose Centenary? project questions the near absence of the appreciation of history and the lack of critical readings of some of the historical moments of our past. The project which was held on the 6th and 7th of December, 2014 yielded a new body of works in new media, performance, installation, painting, poetry and photography. This paper highlights the various artistic projects carried out under the umbrella of the Whose Centenary? Project and shows the collaboration between varied groups of artists defining change within the context of a rigidly guarded culture. In many ways, despite colonial and foreign incursion, the Edo society has largely retained its cultural structures. The seemingly penetrative nature of these public art performances opened up areas of tension and negotiation. It also mediated the Edo cultural space, and celebrated unexpected receptive dimensions of the visual culture of Benin. The paper further touches on how my earlier project and exhibition, Benin1897.com:Art and the Restitution Question and the Whose Centenary? extend into global platforms and are engaged in wider debates of art looting that characterized the colonial period in Nigeria. The paper concludes with how the Whose Centenary? project reveals the changing nature ofthe arts in Benin, Nigeria. Benin public space as the artists' canvas 6 Isaac Olawale Albert (2014) Conflicts in Pre-colonial and Post-Colonial Africa, Sustainable Development in Pre-Colonial, Colonial and Post Colonial Africa; Issues and Contexts, Eds. Labode Popoola et al, University of Ibadan Centre for Sustainable -Development, P.ll 2 Benin City has always held an appeal in the arts. The display of outdoor sculptures art ateliers and galleries along major streets in the city provide a colourful backdrop to the Whose Centenary? project. Preliminary visits to Benin began in October 2014 with meetings held between the members of this initiative and the Ine of Igun, known as the head of the bronze casters' guild. These meetings were held in his palace at Igun Street, Benin City. After several discussions, a strategy and project plan were evolved that were to be inclusive rather than invasive. The process of negotiation for the shared artistic space was necessary in order to choose the various locations for the individual artists' projects. The Igun artists offered their studios and compounds for the public project and were also willing to participate. The performance began in-house at the King's quarters at Akenzua Street with praise songs, dancing and poetry recitation. This was followed by a public procession along the streets of Benin through Akenzua Street, Airport Road and with a brief stop in front of the King's palace at Plymouth Road. The procession continued to the city Centre (the Ring Road) into Sakponba Road and finally berthed at Igun Street where the artists executed their individual projects. Igun Street, although not a World Heritage Site is advertised as one on the arch that heralds one into the Street. It is nevertheless, a renowned tourist site in Nigeria. It was selected as the main venue of this artist's intervention. It is the home and ateliers of the guild of bronze casters' who for several centuries guarded and revered tradition of bronze casting in the kingdom of Benin. These artists have made a significant contribution to the history of Benin, indeed of Nigeria, in the sustenance of a tradition that has given the country world recognition in the arts.
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