NIGERIAN ART HISTORIANS AND THE CHALLENGES OF EXPECTATION
What is the job of art historians? They are artists, but not in the conventional term because they do not make art. Instead they study, discuss, and interpret works of art and why artists express themselves in certain ways. Art historians mediate between the artist’s creative intention and the viewers’ perception by brokering understanding. The art historian contextualises and documents the artworks and the conditions under which the artists made them while also taking into consideration factors such as patronage, art institutions and the overall conditions that influence or dictate artistic productions.
It is in reappraising these vital roles of the art historian in the dynamics of the Nigerian art ecology that the Art Historical Association of Nigeria (AHAN), recently (between July 18, and 21), held a three-day conference, in association with the Department of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, under the theme:“The Harvest Is Plenty but the Labourers Are Few: Art Historians in Nigeria and the Challenges of Historiography”. The conference was held in honour of AHAN’s retiring founding president, Emeritus Professor Ola Oloidi and other pioneers of art history in Nigeria who laid the foundation of Art history as an aspect of art scholarship in Nigeria.
Some of the issues raised under the subthemes of the conference include “the need to reposition Art history in Nigeria for the challenges of the future,” “Colonisation, Art History and the Need for Decolonisation in Nigerian Art Institutions,” “The Problems of Art History in Nigeria and the Impact of the National Universities Commission’s (NUC) Benchmark as Anti-art”. The Issue of the booming art sector in Nigeria was highlighted and there were calls for an urgent need for robust and commensurate practice of art history to ensure that the demand for knowledge production on the visual arts is met and sustained in the country.
The disproportionate, if not exclusive representation by art historians from Nigerian tertiary institutions in the conference leaves a gap that ought to be filled by independent art history practitioners and other stakeholders who make up a significant part of art historiography and the general art ecology in Nigeria. Culture journalists and editors who run the newspapers’ and magazines’ art pages constitute an important part of art history because they serve to bridge the gap between art historians and critics and members of the society, and should therefore be part of a conference by a significant body like AHAN. Though outside of mainstream tertiary art institutions, the role of independent curators, art critics and culture journalists are essential to the development of art history. On weekly basis for example, the combined efforts of these important players document and disseminate incredible information about art.
Special recognition awards were given to the following pioneers of art history in Nigeria: Nigeria’s foremost art historian and founder of AHAN, Emeritus Professor, Ola Oloidi; First Nigerian trained art historian and keynote speaker at the event, Professor Babatunde Lawal of Virginia Commonwealth University; Renowned art historian, Professors Chike C. Aniakor of Cross River State University of Science, Arts and Technology who presented the lead paper, and Prof. Dele Jegede, a renowned artist and art historian. Other activities during the conference are: an art exhibition by staff and students of Fine and Applied Arts at the Obiora Udechukwu Gallery foyer, UNN, and a visit to El Anatsui’s new ultra-modern Afrika studio. Prof. Krydz Ikwuemesi, the outgoing president of the association and Head Department of Fine and Applied Arts, UNN, handed over the mantle of leadership of the association to Prof. Ahmed Rufai Salihu of Ahmadu Bello University who was elected as the new president of the association.
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