30 photographers display at LagosPhoto fest
At the 2016 LagosPhoto festival, photographs of different shapes and sizes hung on the exhibition wall situated at the basement of the Escalator Section of the Eko Hotel and Suites as a horde of enthusiasts milled around the photographs with great admiration, at the exhibition tagged ‘Rituals and Performance: Inherent risk.’
In their respective placements, each of the photographs beamed touches of creativity with artistic usage of ray of light that capture tone, reflections, patterns and effects, all of which combined to present realities through camera lens.
The exhibition of such creativity perhaps became the nectar, drawing closer to each of the displayed pictures, numerous admirers and enthusiasts, who besieged the festival arena to celebrate, appraise and savour professional works of arts.
At a press briefing earlier held to announce the event, Head, Events and Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria, Modupe Thani, said: “Whatever you shall be witnessing at the festival is about the usage and power of digital media and mobile technology to engage and empower budding photographers to tell compelling stories about Nigeria and Africa.”
“The philosophy of the festival is in line with Etisalat’s goal of discovering and encouraging indigenous talents in the Nigerian art space. And in addition to the LagosPhoto Festival, Etisalat has been consistent in creating and supporting platforms that encourage innovation and the development of creativity in Nigeria,” Thani said.
In all, the 2016 edition of LagosPhoto festival features 30 photographers from 17 different countries, including Fati Abubakar (Nigeria), Mohamed Arejdal (Morocco), Karimah Ashadu (Britain and Nigeria) ýMiia Autio (Finland), Pep Bonet (Spain) and Juno Calypso (United Kingdom), among others.
A Ghanaian artist and photographer, Ibrahim Mahama who said he was attending the festival for the first time, applauded the initiative even as he expressed hope of participating in future editions.
“We don’t usually have an event like this that often brings together photographers in Africa. I believe an event like this is no doubt an exposure and it also helps some of us understanding the politics inherent in it.”
He also said: “I was invited by the festival Director, Azu. I have not come to display my works but to simply talk about my artistic experience and a host of other things as well as the photography politics. The photography politics is simply about objects, and the acts of photography itself and the history behind it. So, we are focused on to relate with the politics, which makes what and the aesthetic behind it and how we use that to achieve certain effects, among others.”
An art enthusiast and fashonista, Aike Akhigbe described the 2016 edition of the festival as a leap on subsequent editions, all of which she said conveyed vivid message.
“I’m aware that what this platform has been in existence for a number of years and every year, it keeps getting better and better. As an art lover and fashionista myself, I can what a festival like this does is to showcase creativities as well as inherent potentials of many African photographers. To me, this is no doubt is going a long way in projecting our people and their works as well as the many unique opportunities we have in abundance in this part of the world,” she said.
As someone who has had to attend three editions of the LagosPhoto in the last three years, Deborah Willsher, wife of the Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria said what she found captivating about this year edition is the theme.
She said the term “ritual” and “performance” are key to individual root and identity.
“The term ‘ritual’ is very instructive because it is grounder in our everyday existence. It has to do with our root. Without it, we really can’t say who we are or where we are coming from. Each family has its own ritual. If you look out the history of respective families, you will the repetition of certain issues or development and to me that is ritual.”
The winner of the competition would receive a Canon camera while the first runner-up, an iPhone and the second runner-up a Samsung phone.