UNESCO to support damaged Cairo Islamic museum

UNESCO is making attempt to assist the renowned Islamic art museum damaged by a bombing that was aimed at nearby security headquarters, in Cairo, Egypt, the country’s Minister of Antiquities Muhammed Ibrahim said on Sunday.

Egyptian security forces in front of the Islamic Museum, Cairo after the bomb attack 

A team of the world body, he disclosed will travel to Cairo to assess the damage. It has also been revealed that the museum will “get $100,000 from the UNESCO to help the museum recover from the damage Ibrahim added.

The bombing, believed to have been carried out on Friday, in a truck was one of four attacks across the capital was said to have aimed the police. The attacks, which killed six people released huge blast that shattered the facade of the security headquarters, and hit the artefacts in the museum across the street.

Some of the damages included centuries-old glass and porcelain pieces were smashed to powder, a priceless wooden prayer niche was destroyed and manuscripts were soaked by water spewing from broken pipes.

In Lagos, Post-Oil City images raise energy, urbanisation alerts

By Tajudeen Sowole

The challenge of tomorrow’s big cities, which is the focus of an ongoing exhibition titled Post-Oil City: The History of the City’s Future, at Goethe Institut, Lagos Island, alerts city designers about widening urban and shrinking traditional sources of energy.

Presented in photography, drawing, digital imaging and video, the event, which the organisers describe as a tour exhibition, coincidentally, is making its Nigerian stopover in Lagos where the government is confronting the complexity of replacing antiquated infrastructures for the prospects of a megacity.

         Solar-powered umbrellas for Masdar City Abu Dhabi, UAE PIC: Courtesy of LAVA.

The exhibition, according to Goethe Institut, is organised by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa), Stuttgart, in co-operation with ARCH+, Zeitschrift für Architektur und Städtebau, Berlin.

  From buildings that factor climate change into design concepts, to public transportation facilities that conserve energy, the exhibition samples tomorrow’s projects being carried out in cities such as Abu Dhabi, New York, Curitiba, Dubai, Berlin, Mumbai, among others.

  Speaking at the opening, Mareike Borgdstedt of Goethe Institut said the exhibition presents innovative projects in Asia, Africa, and the Americas that address urgent questions of post-fossil fuel in urban cities.

 Some of the issues addressed by the exhibits include challenge of growing urban where too many people are concentrated on shrinking spaces, particularly in a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Pertinently, the organisers ask: “How will the use of renewable energies affect urban metabolism and the politics of sustainability and mobility?”



 However, the much-projected green environment compliant buildings appeared to have taken a queue from past designs of the mid-twentieth century, so reveals the contents of a stand at the immediate entrance of the Lagos City Hall venue of the show.  Tagged Adaptation to the Climate, it’s a 1964 architectural umbrella or adjustable canopy, which most of the modern and 21st century climate change compliant designs have adapted.

 A step further into the exhibits comes an example of how to apply native contents in creating architectural masterpiece, yet proffering solution to climate change challenge. Placed under Vernacular Principals, the works show an Egyptian example in architect, Hassan Fathy’s (1900-1988) concept of Arabic architecture blended with modern concept.

  Quite interesting, some of the designs across the Arab world till today have the Fathy-style contents. In fact a text attached to the work notes that Fathy tries  “to make traditional solutions workable for the present.” Basically, the works from the stand explain how the Arabs - modern and contemporary designers - create ventilation for dry and arid regions.

  Other sections of the exhibition that show innovations in cities like Berlin, New York and few European cities, perhaps, should not come as a surprise given the antecedence of the developed world in futuristic facilities. But from Curitiba, Brazil comes an example of mass transit, the likes of which Lagos State Government is gradually introducing into the complex environment in Nigeria.

 For Curitiba’s BRT- innovated in 1975 with 25, 000 passengers per day, it’s now a success story as 75 per cent of the population, according to the exhibition, commutes in the bus transit to and from work, culminating in “2.3 million passengers, daily.”

During the opening of the exhibition.

The challenges of the Curitiba transportation authority is not exactly highlighted in the exhibition, but it could have provided a window to appraise the Lagos Lagbus and Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) BRT schemes. The twin mass transits were established since the period of former Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and currently spreading to some axis in the state under the current government of Babatunde Raji Fashola. Burdened by the state-federal- controlled highways, as well as the informal transportation and improperly organized, but powerful, commercial bus associations, the Lagbus and LAMATA BRT is still facing a herculean task in spreading across the state.

 In other climes where regional or state-federal dichotomy work for the common good of the people, Lagos, a city of population explosion, would need the Curitiba example more, particularly to reduce vehicular traffic congestions and air pollution from automobiles. Currently said to be moving an ‘estimated 300, 000 passengers daily” just on the Ikorodu Road-CMS-axis, the LAMATA BRT appears not doing badly since 2007 when it was formally launched by Fashola.  

 On fossil fuel pollution-free environment, Post-Oil City features an irony: one of the richest oil producing countries, UAE is designing a model city of 100 per cent renewable energy.    

  Described as one of the most ambitious future city projects of the 21st century, Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi, is designed to be powered by renewable and pollution free energy. The city, which started in 2008, is also fashioned after what the promoters described as “traditional Arabian city.” It’s an automated city where fossil-fuel automobiles, for example, are not allowed. Major source of transportation is Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), something like the executive version of BRT, but automated or driverless.

  Quite thoughtful of the Arabs, the post-fossil oil would not obliterate a region that has supplied energy to the rest of the world for more than half a century. The ongoing Masdar City project is aimed at also suppling the world non-fossil fuel energy.

  "The models of the Masdar Plaza and Xeritown give an idea of how sustainable urban planning in Arab cities nowadays can look like,” part of the exhibition statement reads.

 Noting that more than half of the world’s population live in cities, the organisers argued that the effects of climate change on urban life can no longer be ignored.

 For the gathering of the show's contents, "11 current projects in the field of sustainable urban planning with 9 from the past," forms the body of works that stress a link between modern and contemporary designs.

  Other experiments shown include  Xeriton, Dubai, and the NEST project in Ethiopia as well as "renaturalizing New York’s High Line, and building a network of electric cars with battery switch stations in Israel."

  Also of note is a current project said to be doing "several interactive projects giving communities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait the chance to directly experience new measures in urban design and energy production."

  

Tope Folarin is not done with ‘Miracle’, critics

The winner of Caine Prize for African Writing, 2013, Tope Folarin is not done with Miracle, the short story work that won him the prize.

Tope Folarin

Folarin, a Nigerian-born U.S-based writer told Live Books that he plans to bring Miracle as part of the components of his forthcoming novel, Proximity of Distance, which will be a “novel-in-stories”.

Still on Miracle, Folarin would not allow the critics of his book’s status within the context of “African” get away easily. MORE.

Onwuka’s Diary Pages of Africa’s struggle against the bad, oddity of relationship

By Tajudeen Sowole

In painter Nyemike Onwuka’s fourth solo art exhibition titled Diary Pages, held at Alexis Galleries, Victoria Island, Lagos, the dilemma of Africans in sustaining cultural values was among the leading themes.

More pertinent of the artist’s thoughts in the current reality, for example in Nigeria, is the issue of aligning sexuality within a reasonable limit of acceptance as against oddity in the choice of partners.

Just So I Thought is from Nyemike Onwuka’s Diary Pages

From multiple husband, to underage girl marriage, Onwuka expresses what he discloses as some of the notes from his dairy, over the last 11 months. In some of the 20 works he showed, the artist collapses his jottings into the body of work. And perhaps, significantly, at a gallery where he was the first artist shown when the space opened as Homestores Gallery in 2011.

One of Nigeria's young artists who are consistent in representational modernism, Onwuka, has however established himself with a distinct identity by aging his canvas. Within this identity, every theme of his exhibition attempts to separate the previous outings from a current show. His Diary Pages is not different, though he boasts that“I am still consistent with my rustic canvas.”

The theme of the exhibition is not exactly far from people’s record keeping attitude, even in the age of smart phones, which even offers a digital diary. A look into an artist’s diary could be of interest, maybe from a fresh perspective. “These are my thoughts over the past 11 months,” Onwuka explains.

Of all the choices of sex partners that people make, the most complex areas of contentious sex partner is a woman’s multiple male lovers. In one of Onwuka’s work titled Polyandry, the artist argues that such behaviour is un-African. Like the ongoing issue of same sex partners, it does appear that Africans have imbibed the habit of tracing“unpopular sex behaviour” to the west. One woman to more than one husband, Onwuka argues, is not African.  He notes that “Polyandry is a trend in the west,” warning that “it’s now creeping into the African environment.”

But if the line between polyandry and promiscuity is a thin one, it could be very difficult to trace its origin to the west or any culture outside Africa. It’s as contentious as same sex. Perhaps with the exception that same sex has been with us in Africa for a while, but not same sex marriage.

Indeed,  Onwuka's Diary Pages may just be similar to that of every Nigerian who keeps abreast of recent issues of sexuality in the country. From an alleged plans of the Upper Chamber of the national assembly to legislate on marriageable age for a girl child, to the recently ascent law prohibiting same sex marriage, Nigeria is infested with sexuality issues.  
     

 While sympathisers of same sex marriage are voiceless in the deafening applause for the passage and signing of the law, the issue of what makes a girl underage for marriage divides Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines. For diverse reasons, it seems that everyone who contributes to the debate has taken a hardline position.

And just when one thought feminism, from Onwuka's perspective, ends on the canvas, the artist too takes a stand on the underage marriage debate. He expresses his view in the work titled If Only I Had A Choice.

 In 2011, Onwuka’s Moods was used to formally opened Homestores Gallery, showing paintings, mixed media and drawings,  that stresses his identity.

After training at Auchi Polytechnic, Edo State, Onwuka went for further skills acquisition when he studied Character Animation at Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa in 2008.

 Two of his past shows included Lines and Forms at Sachs Gallery, Victoria, Lagos, and Elegant Urban Decay at Arc Gallery, London, UK.

Man Booker Prize finalist among Etisalat shortlist

NoViolet Bulawayo's novel

After being shortlisted as the first African literature in the prestigious Man Booker Prize, but failed to win the 2013 edition, Zimbabwean author, NoViolet Bulawayo’s We Need A New Name has been named among the finalists of the maiden edition of Etisalat Literature Prize.

Also on the list are shortlist are Bom Boy by Yewande Omotoso and Finding Soutbek by Karen Jennings.Ahead of the announcement of the final winner next month, Etisalat will buy 1,000 copies of the three finalists as well take writers on a multi-city sponsored tour, also in January.

The overall winner will be announced at the Etisalat Prize for Literature Award Ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, February 23, 2014.

Egyptian singer sues Akon over non-appearance

Senegalese-born American hip-hop star, Akon, seems to have ran into some trouble waters over an agreement between him and Egyptian singer, Tamer Hosny.

 

Akon

It has nothing to do with copyright or plagiarism, but Akon"s failure to ensure that another artiste Pitbull, who paired with the ebony skin star for vocals in Hosny's album, Arabian Knight is present for the music video.

For  Pitbull's absence at the shoot of Hosny's music video, the latter, according to reports, "is suing Akon."

Hosny claims: he paid $300,000 for Akon and Pitbull to provide vocals and, perhaps, visual for a song.in the album. 

'Fela was ahead of his time' says American filmmaker

With the increasing interest in Fela Anikulapo Kuti subjects, surfacing outside Africa of recent, the late Afrobeat legend is fast becoming the biggest musical export ever from the continent.

Fela Anikulapo Kuti

Latest of such post-Fela works is a film titled Finding Fela!, by Academy Award winner documentary filmmaker, Alex Gibney.
 

The documentary film, which just premiered at the Sundance Film Festival is Fela's biography from youth to his death.
 

One of the archival footage used in the film, according to a source, relays Fela saying  “music is the weapons of the future.”

In response to Fela's prediction, Gibney said in an interview: “Now is the future,...  We’re definitely catching up with someone who was way ahead of his time"

 Gibney won the Academy award in 2007 for his Taxi to the Dark Side, a documentary on U.S. interrogation abuses in Afghanistan.

Angelique Kidjo's new album 'Eva' ft. Asa

Two of a kind: Republic of Benin-born Grammy Award winner, Angelique Kidjo features her Yoruba descent sister, Nigerian diva, Asa in her new album titled Eva.

The album is set for a January 28, 2014 release.

Listen HERE.

For pastel show at 13, six masters return

By Tajudeen Sowole

A reflective aura radiated in the air as six artists gathered for the 13th edition of the yearly Pastel Exhibition, just held at Mydrim Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The show, which is arguably, one of the oldest yearly art event featured Muri Adejimi, Segun Adejumo, Duke Asidere, Sam Ovraiti, Alex Nwokolo and Kehinde Sanwo, who were apparently not among the artists shown in the last six or more editions of the Yearly Patel Exhibition. The six artists were among the participants in the early years of the exhibition.

Tube Tuse (Co-existence) by Muri Adejinmi.

Aimed at promoting the pastel medium among artists, the gathering, in the past few editions have focused on young artists, including old and new entrants.

With the six artists selected for the 13th edition, it’s a comeback for the painters who are masters in their own right, being a bridge between the Nigerian old masters and young generation of artists. At the last edition, works of young artists Kolawole Olojo-Kosoko, Emmanuel Dudu, Ajibade Awoyemi, Joseph Ayelero’ Segun Adesanya, Kehinde Oso, Sam Ajobiewe, Uzoamaka Nnuji, Stanley Dudu, Paul Iroye, Jefferson Jonathan, Okonye Dixon, and Jonathan Ikpoza.were on and were on display as the show stressed the diversity of its scope.

  The show “has firmly established itself as a tradition at Mydrim,” the curator, Sinmidele Ogunsanya states.  “Over the past one decade, it has been exciting organizing 13 editions in as many different ways in order to continue making each exhibition interesting for art enthusiasts.”

And for the vibrancy of the Lagos art landscape, the exhibition was a mixed of classic painting, impressionism, cubism and drawing. In the three works of Adejinmi, his classicist handling of dramatic composite, even marvels.  His works such as Iwa Jo Wa (Birds of the same Feathers) and Omonira (Liberation), typical of the artist, stress the resilience of realism. Not exactly in Adejinmi’s surreal rendition, but Iwa Jo Wa maintains the artist’s identity of composites that are always in motion.

Among his generation of artists down the ladder, Adejinmi is, perhaps, Nigeria’s top artist in the classic and naturalism renditions,, so suggests the energy of theatrics imbedded in his works since he emerged from the revered Abayomi Barber school over three decades ago. Despite proving his worth over and over, excellence, he says is still some brush strokes away. “I am constantly pursuing excellence,” he states. “I believe there is always a room for improvement.”

Ovraiti, whose name is synonymous with fluid medium such as water colour, brings in to the gathering his equal familiarity with the pastel, in fact, in drawings as well as paintings. Two of his seven works, which are of portraiture genre, exude the beauty of drawing in competitive space with subtle painting.

That Other Women by Sam Ovraiti

Quietly impacting on the mentorship and workshop aspects of art activities, Ovraiti brings into the 13 Pastel Exhibition one of his encounters at the yearly Harmattan Workshop in the three-figural portraiture titled Three Agbarha Otor Girls.  Ovraiti was appointed the first director of the over three decades old Agbarha Otor, Delta State-based workshop in 2011. Still on portraiture, the artist’s pastel seems to have fallen in love with the ladies, so suggest another one Olufunilayo, which has features of mixed-race, particularly in the nose and lips.

Being trained as a painter, Ovraiti says, was not enough, so “I am now an artist” who creates art across diverse forms. “I simply allow the art to come alive, taking the part of least resistance.” 

Cubist, Asidee stresses his “simplistic” belief in art. Known for using his work to make burlesque statement on social and political development, Asidere continues to apply the simpleton form in works such as Election Blocks, a strike at lack of transparency; and The Syndrome, a visual narrative of increasing indecent dressings of young ladies on the streets, across the country.

If spontaneity could be detected or proven in a finished work of art, Asidere would wear the garb of ‘spontenous master’or ‘master of spontenous art’. And in simplicity, the cousin of spontaneity, the artist keeps stressing the joy of creating art, almost effortlessly. Art, he argues, “is not as complex as many artists try to make it.”  Asidere explains that he views art from a “a very simplistic point.” and advises: “just get it done.” 

For Adejumo whose palette moves cautiously between realism and impressionism, works such as Wrapper’s Delight, Yomi’s Repose and Road to Panshin exude the artist’s excavating skill. Indeed, composites such as figures laying on bed or wrapping cloth as well as landscape of a path appear ordinary or common. But the artist insists that these renditions are part of his “objectives” to unearth “profound” subjects from “seemingly ordinary things.”

Kehinde Sanwo’s Dance With Me

One of the most experimental artists on the Nigerian art scene of recent, Nwokolo, comes into the pastel show with his Oju (Face) series, which he had presented mostly in collage of painting on canvas. Bringing same with pastel on paper, Nwokolo, interestingly sustains the roughage, but poetic-like surface of the series as seen in one of the works titled In the Lighter Mood.

Even in the monochromatic tone, Nwokolo’s Oju series of the pastel show still offers a sparkling look. Two of his other works include Still Life and a stylized figures of midriff s titled New Generation.

Over two decades or more of Sanwo’s art as architecture documentary artist, largely in impressionism, has, recently, been broken by a technique, in which he combines poster on canvas. Quite a departure from his past works so explains in his pastel presentations such as Blossoms 1, Dance With Me and Fishing Frenzy.    

Ghanaian-born BBC TV broadcaster, Komla Dumor’s brief, eventful career

Komla Dumor ( October 3, 1972 – January 18, 2014) was until his death, a presenter for BBC World News and Focus on Africa programme.

Dumor graduated from the University of Ghana with BSc. in Sociology and Psychology; and got MA, in Public Administration from Harvard University.

He won the Ghana Journalist of the Year award in 2003 and joined the BBC four years later.

From then until 2009 he hosted Network Africa for BBC World Service radio, before joining The World Today programme.

Komla Dumor ( October 3, 1972 – January 18, 2014)

In 2009, Dumor became the first host of Africa Business Report on BBC World News. He was a regular presenter of Focus on Africa and had fronted the programme the day before he died.

He travelled across Africa, meeting the continent's top entrepreneurs and reporting on the latest business trends around the continent.

He interviewed a number of high-profile guests including Bill Gates and Kofi Annan.

Last month, he covered the funeral of former South African President, Nelson Mandela, whom he described as "one of the greatest figures of modern history".

He anchored live coverage of major events including the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the funeral of Kim Jong-il, the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the Norway shootings and the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

For Fashesin-Souza, personalised themes bring competitive edge

Lawyer, Catherine Fashesin-Souza who takes break from legal practice to paint, recently put her creativity to public test with a solo art exhibition titled The Best of Catherine Fashesin-Souza, held at  Didi Museum, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Though largely of personalized theme, some of the artist’s contents viewed via soft copies shortly before the show opened suggest that Fashesin-Souza has something for lovers of simple themes in Nigeria.

Not exactly an outsider to visual arts, having practised in the U.K for many years – getting a formal training in art after being a self-taught artist – her return to Nigeria comes with a kind of art that would have to define its patrons or struggle for attention in the crowded Lagos art scene. 

Catherine Fashesin-Souza’s The Kenyan Girl- the Naisai

But as every artist has to emphasise their strength, Fashesin-Souza’s ability to personalise her themes could just be all she needs, combined with a subtle style of painting. For example, the artist sees a similarity in what she describes as my “unsettledness,” and a scene from the Nigerian civil war captured by a photographer. This much she explains in the work titled Exodus, a painting inspired by similar image of people moving to an unknown place or wilderness after being displaced from their homes. Painted in monochrome and from a slight aerial view, it shows families – children, women guided by men - moving on a road path with loads. It’s a revisit of the damage caused by displacements during war or conflicts.

In Fashesin-Souza’s case, it’s about emotional displacement. She recalls how the work reminds her of “my unhappiness,” but adds “and my hope for a bright future.”

Still roving around the personalisation of the exhibition’s theme, she paints “my eyes” in to a portrait of an unidentified lady in the work titled The Kenyan Girl- the Naisai.

  One of the works The Landscape, also stresses the artist’s strength in modernism, a theme that some would argue in the Nigerian context as ‘facing the challenge and test of ‘conceptual’ or ‘contemporaneity.’  So long as the subjectivity of art prevails, an artist’s ability to defend a concept or content makes the difference in acceptability or appreciation.

She describes her art as “a combination of still life, landscape, abstract and portrait.” Largely, the inspirations for her works, she discloses “are from my emotions, environment and experiences.”

Fashesin-Souza’s bio suggests that she’s had an active moment on the art exhibition turf in the U.K. She studied law and got a City Guild training in painting. Her debut solo exhibition was at the Thames Gallery Grays Community Centre at Thurrock, London, in 2009; next one at the Afro Carribean Exhibition at the Shell Centre at Waterloo and on Strand street in Central London, 2011; during  Ariya Expo, at Hilton, Kensington, London also in 2011 and the last, ‘Art on the Rail’  a group one held during the 2012 Olympic games.

Currently practicing law in Nigeria, Fashesin-Souza’s bio says she obtained  Masters from University of Wales Cardiff in International Trade Law after working part-time at Hereward & Foster Solicitors at Canning Town, London.

After practicing as a self-taught artist, she enrolled in Rosetta Art Centre to Study Oil Painting Part-time, January 2011 I where she got  City Guilds Certificate in Oil painting with a distinction.

  Her quality as a self-taught artist was perhaps not in doubt prior to a formal training. “In all humility I won the 2nd Prize Award at the 1996 UNICEF Breast Feeding and Enlightenment Open Children’s Art Contest, which was initiated to commemorate the 1996 World Breast Feeding Week.”

A year before winning the UNICEF award, Fashesin-Souza had received the Best Fine Art student prize in Senior School for the year 1995 at Queens College Lagos, Nigeria.

Also, the artist’s passion extends to sharing her skills, particularly at workshops as well philantroppy. One of such activities included a workshop tagged Artlympics”.

held shortly before the 2012 summer Olympics Games, during “the Olympics torch marathon show at East Ham.”

Back in Nigeria and practicing law, privately, Fashesin-Souza’s compassion continues.  She assures that some proceeds from the sales of her just held exhibition “would got to a trust fund which could be used to sponsor persons with life threatening illnesses; for their maintenance and operations.”