allAfrica.com: Nigeria: The Making of Aresuva; an Ideologically-Driven Art Summit (Page 1 of 1)

A JOURNEY of one million miles, they say, starts with a step. So it is with the story of the first Regional Art Summit and Exhibition, ARESUVA, which kicks off in the nation's seat of power, Abuja this weekend. The one week show, which automatically will transform the beautiful city of Abuja to a one-stop destination point for tourism, art, culture and scholarship, is the brainchild of Chief Joe Musa-led National Gallery of Art, NGA. As an ideological concept, ARESUVA was carefully conceptualised and sold by Joe Musa, NGA director, himself, a professionally trained artist, gallery manager and culture activist, to the National Gallery of Art when he was appointed to oversee the functions of that number one repository and propagator of contemporary Nigerian art.

Therefore on assumption of office a few years ago, the Edo State-born culture administrator and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria first class graduate of Fine Arts committed himself to the task of conscientising the entire staff and crew of the National Gallery of Art on the business of art and how art could be developed to become an economic driver in the nation.

The decision to do this was no easy task. But as luck would have it, he readily found favour in the sight of foreign cultural missions and especially, from the American Consulate and the French Embassy in Nigeria, which intervened and made sure that senior directors of the gallery took a world tour of some of the best galleries in Europe and America to see for themselves and as well learn how art business is managed and developed to become a strong foreign exchange earner and tourism potential in these countries.

Through the help of Mary Lou Pizzaro of the Public Affairs section of American Consulate in Nigeria, the whole directors at the National Gallery were sponsored to participate in the popular American visiting programme, which gave them the platform to visit the galleries in the US and got first-hand information regarding the hosting and activities of renowned art expos like New York, Chicago and Las Vegas world accepted visual art international shows.

Through this successful orientation embarked upon by the then newly appointed young director of the gallery and his supporting assistants, it became possible for him to sell his well articulated and brilliant idea about innovating African art in such a way that it can be seen as having come to terms with what is seen and done in the global art terrain.

Therefore, ARESUVA as the name goes, comes into being not only as a dynamic fundamental step towards keying the Culture sub-sector into the Federal Government's developmental blue print enshrined in President Yar'Adua's seven-point agenda, which in part is committed to job creation and employment opportunities for all able- bodied men and women of this country; but also a corporate blue print for the development of African arts and producers of these arts.

As a regional project, the first Regional Summit on African Art and Exhibition is also keyed in within the ideological framework of New Partnership for African Development, NEPAD, which Nigeria and many other African countries and governments are signatory to, as a new economic ideological driver that can quicken the economic developmental pace of the region.

While again selling this idea at a world Press conference early in the year, the vivacious and confident-looking NGA director told journalists and many attendee art and culture stakeholders, that he was committed to transforming the visual art sub-sector to becoming an economic engine for national development and the corporate well being of African art and practice.

Saddened by the fact that culture and culture producers in Nigeria in particular, and Africa in general are sidelined in the affairs of the region, particularly in the economic affairs of the continent, Musa felt that the practice and promotion of art in the continent would be innovated in such a way that its economic and tourism potentials can be unravelled and put to regional good use.

According to him, " We go to Art forum, Berlin, we go to Art Fair, New York, when I was practising privately... now, we have decided to design our own programme so that the world will also come and spend their money in Nigeria.

"Let me say that 40 per cent of the show will be controlled by Nigerian galleries and artists, while the remaining 60 per cent will be for the visiting participants. We are hoping for a programme that will prepare the country, so that at the end of another two years, we can reap an income of about $50,000,000 from the visual art sub-sector..." Besides the financial gain expected to accrue from the show, it is also hoped that ARESUVA will become a forum, where academic thought will be harmonised with visual art exhibition.

According to Dr Tonie Okpe, an associate professor of Art History at Ahmadu Bello University and a member of the Sub-Committee on Exhibition for ARESUVA, "the summit idea is also to bring a combination of Nigerian academics in Nigeria, the diaspora and other contemporary art commentators in Africa to again come together and look at the present situation of contemporary art practice in Africa with the view of looking at issues being raised by African artists through their works, the mediums the artists are using and the contents and quality of the works being produced."

Synergy and debate

To achieve this fulfillment, effort has been made to showcase the kind of works from across the continent that should be able to provoke this kind of synergy and debate. According to the official curator of ARESUVA, renowned Nigerian artist and former Art lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, Nsikak Essien, "...the theme of this exhibition is like a family gathering.

It is like bringing the fathers and children together, a family coming together and synergising together. So, you will realise that you are going to have icons like Bruce Onobrakpaye, El Anatusi, Uche Okeke, who are the icons and fathers of Nigerian art; and also the people that came from them; their children.

We are also going to have Lemaguya of Ethiopia and Lemaguya's children. We are going to have other artists from the continent and from the diaspora. They are all coming together to bring what they have experienced out there to bear on this exhibition."

There is no doubt that ARESUVA is premised on strong ideological conviction; and hopefully, today is the day of harvest, of this beautiful thought...."

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