13. Highlights from the second edition of the Lagos Biennial in Nigeria
From 26 October to 23 November, the second Lagos Biennial featured works spanning film, video, photography, installations and more.
Held at the Independence Building, a historic structure commissioned by the British towards the end of their colonial reign as a tribute to Nigeria’s independence in 1960, this year’s edition of the Lagos Biennial was titled “How to Build a Lagoon with Just a Bottle of Wine?”. It’s a name adapted from a poem about Lagos by Akeem Lasisi that expresses the impossible and speaks to the city’s can-do spirit in the face of seemingly insurmountable social, political and economic obstacles. “The second edition of the Lagos Biennial,” says its founder Folakunle Oshun, “engages pertinent socioeconomic and political issues stemming from the astonishing shifts in the city’s spatial elaboration over the past two decades”.
Under the curatorship of Antawan Byrd, Tosin Oshinowo and Oyinda Fakeye, 38 artists were selected to present works spanning film, video, photography and installations that capture the radical nature of the city.
HIGHLIGHTS
A History of a City in a Box: N did iD ike’ s large-scale floor installation made from photographs, documents, red soil, paper and wooden file boxes, is a response to the exhibition space, based off the artist’s first visit, when she found old government documents from the ’60s.
Fly-oversandDrive-bys: (above) this collaborative presentation by collage artist Karen Stewart and photographer Ed Suter portrays everyday, functional but overlooked spaces in South Africa. The emphasis on lines and curves from the landscapes and bridges is reminiscent of the long and winding third mainland bridge that connects the two ends of Lagos and
the untold stories that lurk between the pillars that hold the bridge over the Atlantic Ocean. Tee ming Spaces and troubled Vision Make good fiction for thinking: fitted above a balcony view on one of the exhibition floors is an LED sign with the words of the work’s title. Artist Dominique Koch incorporates the view of trees, neighbouring highrise buildings and a park as part of his installation. You Will Find Play grounds Among
the PalmTrees: Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s poignant work is made from curved steel pipes wrapped in twine, relaying an idea of an alternative playground.
Masquerade Memoirs: siblings A de and Tolu Coker capture human experiences and identity through fiction and reenactment, comprising photography, film, and tapestry. The Lagos Biennial is on view until 23 November 2019.