World Interior Architects, Designers to Converge in Lagos
Mary Ekah
Come November this year, renowned, as well as up and coming interior architects and designers, from across the globe will be converging in Lagos for the International Federation of Interior Architects/ Designers (IFI) World Design Congress and its 28th General Assembly (GA). Billed to hold from November 9th – 12th, the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria (IDAN), which is the professional body for Interior Designers and related industry support in Nigeria, won the bid to host this prestigious event at the 2015 GA in Gwangju, South Korea.
Speaking during a press conference jointly addressed by members of IDAN and IFI, the President IFI, Mr. Sebastiano Raneri, said the event would bring together top Interior Designers/Architects from round the globe to Lagos for the congress with relevant stakeholders from the African region to sign the treaty.
The President, IDAN, Ms. Titi Ogufere, said part of the event will be a Festival of African Art and Design, tagged, ‘This Is Africa’ and will be a celebration of 100 years of African Art and Design. “The event will be a celebration of Tradition African Arts, Modern and Contemporary Art and African Design curated by world renowned African curators, Kunle Adeyemi and Bisi Silva with Ronke Ashaye, who is the curator at the Nation Museum,” Ogufere added. The four-day event, she explained further, will celebrate African Art and Design with Nigeria as a focus, providing a platform for artists and designers to redefine the narrative surrounding African creative talents.
The GA which is held biennially, a past president of IFI, Shashi Caan, said was the highest governing authority of IFI, attended by IFI's Executive Board, IFI Past Presidents, members and external stakeholders from member countries.
The Vice President IDAN, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, said the event would also provide opportunity for both IDAN and IFI, to help expand and uplift literacy, awareness, fellowship and cooperation, not just within the discipline of Interior Architecture/Design but also at a societal and cultural level. “We know that the IFI Congress/GA is a momentous undertaking. As the planning for this global event develops to welcome 110 nations to our country we urge the government to consider also the related and peripheral advancement of facilities and infrastructure, as well as the necessary quality of service required to set this event head and shoulders above any other within our region,” Ighodalo noted.