ARESUVA 2008: Visual arts can rake in $50b for Nigeria

As the country prepares to host the First African Regional Summit and Exhibition of Visual Arts, (ARESUVA) the Director General, National Gallery of Art (NGA), Chief Joe Musa, has said visual art could rake in $50 billion to the country's economy. Speaking when he announced Dr. Nsikak Essien as ARESUVA's official curator of the exhibition, Musa described the visual art as a money-spinner venture. Musa, who revealed his level of preparations to host Africa, said the choice of Essien was motivated by his years of experience in the visual art industry as well as his ability to bridge the existing gap between the old and the contemporary Nigerian artists. Though Essien was just officially introduced, Musa said he had resumed duty for a very long time.

According to the NGA's boss, "International players and participants have been registering. Eni Emmanuel from Berlin has indicated that he would like to put up a performance of his famous show Black Man in Oyibo Man's Kitchen for either the opening or closing ceremony. He is a very popular poet in the west and has been in touch with us. We also have gurus like Prof. Awam Akpan, who will be tagging along five other visual arts professors who want to be part of the summit."

As regards preparations, the D.G. informed that the Central Working Committee, earlier inaugurated by the Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, has achieved considerable mileage in their preparations. He also emphasised that media houses, banks, airlines, automobile companies and hotel operators are indicating interest in the summit. "Though we have received funding partnerships from various banks and automobile companies, we are yet to announce the official bank and automobile company for the event. We have a marketing specialist who will come up with a decision as to which to stick with on the basis of who offers the best deal.

CNN is even partnering with us for the event." Besides art exhibitions, other activities have been lined up for the summit. According to Musa, an intellectual segment which will bring together scholars and intellectuals has also been drafted in "because we need to talk and to know what we are doing right and not doing right. We need also to compare notes. That is why a lot of our artists in the Diaspora have been challenged to return home to contribute. We also know that we are making great waves abroad. All these are being done but not documented. So, this summit, which is the peak of the gathering, will ensure proper documentation."He said "this time, we are focusing on the root of the Nigerian art. Regarding the conference, the presentation is for professionals in the fields who will be there to discuss. Thus, we have selected professors and seasoned scholars to make presentations. Their papers are meant to generate further discussions, all of which will be collated for publication." Another component of the summit is the Masters School, which will serve as an opportunity for young artists to meet and be encouraged by the older ones. According to the organisers, the concept of the summit could be compared to that of fathers and children relationship. To ensure that only quality works are exhibited at the summit, the official curator and his team have engaged in intuitive curatting by visiting artists in their studios so as to monitor their works and ensure that set-down format is adhered to. He, however, called on the younger generation of artists, emphasising that the forum will serve as a meeting point between the old and the new.

According to him, participation cuts across every age and era of art. "Old, middle age and the young are invited. It spans across the past, present and the future. One of the bonuses of ARESUVA is that artists who have not had any exposure will get to be nurtured and in the future it will be said that these are seeds that sprouted from ARESUVA. And so they can always make reference to ARESUVA as their springboard to success." Musa also indicated that the exhibition covers from pop art to installation. According to him, the summit can revolve around one work or one artist. Though exhibitions will hold in several galleries within the FCT, Musa regretted that poor infrastructure development has been one of the major challenges faced by the organisers. "We do not have a site that will best showcase a visual art exhibition of this magnitude. Be it furniture, automobile or visual art so that if an artist decides to have an installation of ten cars or containers piled on top one another, there is room to take them in that manner comfortably."Assuring visitors of adequate security, he informed that ARESUVA would serve as an annual event. To further buttress the significance of the ARESUVA, there was a dinner with the minister of culture and tourism, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode and members of the diplomatic corps. The Minister while giving his address emphasised the fact that ARESUVA is being organised to ensure that Nigeria leads the way in African visual arts as she has the talents, strength and courage to do so. He went on to say that, "Nigerian art today with ARESUVA is no longer art for art sake or song and dance. It is now art for quality, art for image and art for empowerment. "In the same vein, the Art Expo Nigeria that is an event of the National Gallery of Art (NGA), Nigeria in collaboration with the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria (AGAN) will take place art the end of the month in Lagos. This maiden event which targets Nigerian artists, will be fully sponsored by the NGA, while the AGAN will be absolutely responsible for subsequent ones though with grants and aid from the NGA where needed.