Omenka magazine Issue 2 by OMENKA MAGAZINE

OMENKA MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

Modern & Contemporary African Art Bonhams ‘Africa Now’ sale on 22 May was a resounding success and, with over twenty new world records being set, was the highest-value auction of African Modern & Contemporary Art ever held.

To find out more about our auctions contact: Giles Peppiatt giles.peppiatt@bonhams.com

Pictures you don’t see every day.

East Fog by Leon Krige

FNB JoburgArtFair 3

1. Ben Enwonwu The Mirror Sculptures Sold: £361,000 ($560,000)

2. Ben Enwonwu Eid il Fitr, Kano (detail) Sold: £193,000 ($300,000)

3. Ben Enwonwu Anyanwu Sold: £133,000 ($206,000)

International Auctioneers and Valuers - bonhams.com/africanow

27-29 September 2013 Sandton Convention Centre

MetropolitanRepublic/11739/E

First National Bank – a division of FirstRand Bank Limited. An Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20).

Africa Now

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

47 CONTRIBUTORS EDITOR’S LETTER

5 9

18 FOCUS

INTERVIEWS, PROFILES Building an African Franchise London: African Art Takes Centre Stage

ANTENNAE

Up Close With ‘Okhai Ojeikere

SNEAK PEEKS, TRENDS Video Art Powered by Samsung Nicholas Hlobo at Stevenson Gallery FNB Art Prize Having Travelled Far Pieter Hugo, Kin Wangechi Mutu, A Fantastic Journey Ojeikere and Stephens, Networks and Voids

12 12 13 13 14

18 22 26

31 MARKET FILE

AUCTIONS, INVESTMENT, GALLERY, ARTIST DOSSIER Ed Cross on Being a Sculptor, African Art and Developments in the Online Market 32 Arthouse Contemporary Auction Preview Bonhams, South African Sale Preview

Review: Lagos Auctions, 1st Half 2013

As Photography Gains a Foothold on the Nigerian Market Kavita Chellaram: Making a Case for Nigerian Art

35 38 40 44 48

60 LIFESTYLE

Drinking Well: Chateau Palmer

TY Bello: Through an Artist’s Lens Exhibition Reviews

76 OMENKA READS Must Read Books

FNB Joburg Art Fair

Fools Eye: Innocent Photographs

REPORTS STUDIO VISIT, SHOW & TELL, REVIEWS, Uche James-Iroha: Power and Powers

78 FEATURES

LagosPhoto Festival Peer Conversation

64 65 66

Nigeria Monarchs

78 80 82 86 90

www.1-54.com

CONTRIBUTORS Bomi Odufunade

Joost Bosland

Bomi Odufunade is a writer and consultant at Dash & Rallo Art Advisory, a bespoke international consultancy specialising mainly in contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. She advises on all aspects of establishing and building art collections, providing art consulting services for private art collectors and corporations. Her writings on art and the art market have appeared in a variety of publications, including Arise, Huffington Post, Contemporary and New African. She is the London editor for Omenka magazine. Previously, she worked at Thames & Hudson, Tate Modern and Haunch of Venison gallery in London. She is based between London, Lagos, and New York.

Joost Bosland holds a B.A (summa cum laude) in Philosophy of Art, Art History, and Criticism from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Bosland played a key role in the expansion of and continues to manage the art fair programme at Stevenson consisting of Frieze New York, Art Basel and Art Hong Kong. He has curated a number of group shows including the well received show, This is Our Time, with work by Marc Bijl, Pieter Hugo, Thomas Hirschhorn and Glenn Ligon. Bosland works with several leading contemporary artists like Zander Blom, Dineo Bopape, Willem Boshoff, Meschac Gaba, Nicholas Hlobo and Zanele Muholi.

Silvia Pillon

Erin Haney

Silvia was born in Venice, Italy, studied German, Russian and History of Art in Venice, Berlin and Moscow. After working for the Department of Education and Promotion at the Venice Biennale 2007, she moved to Paris where she obtained a postgraduate degree at the European School of Management – ESCP. Before joining Artlogic in 2012 as curator of the FNB Joburg Art Fair, she worked at the French Institute in Paris as a coordinator of the Visual Arts Programme for the French-Russian Year 2010 and as gallery manager at Paris’ Baudoin Lebon Gallery.

Erin Haney, DPhil, (SOAS, University of London) is an independent curator and writer currently based in DC, and working with the National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian. She has taught and written on historical and contemporary photography in West Africa and has co-authored a book on activism, arts funding and new coalitions of artists on the continent with Jennifer Bajorek. Her book, Photography and Africa (Reaktion Books, London, 2010) investigates the many themes that intertwine the photographs with the circumstances of their creation.

Joseph Gergel

16–20 October 2013 Somerset House, West Wing, Strand, London WC2R 1LA

Ed Cross

Gergel is a curator at the African Artists’ Foundation in Lagos. He has organised several exhibitions including Nigeria Now: Emerging Trends of Contemporary Art in Nigeria (Art Africa Miami), and served as co-curator of Lagos Photo (2012). Gergel has contributed texts of art criticism to This Day Nigeria, Art South Africa, Geurnica, The New Museum Paper, and Interventions Journal. Gergel holds a Masters in Art History and Curatorial Studies from Columbia University, New York (2012) and a first degree from New York University (2009). Gergel has worked in the Curatorial Departments of the Museum of Modern Art (Photography) and the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. Gergel will serve as managing editor of Art Base Africa, an online database of contemporary African artWW funded by the Prince Claus Fund.

Ed Cross who holds a degree in History of Art from Cambridge University, is a gallery director and curator specialising in Contemporary African Art. Ed is a pioneer in a field that has recently gained global attention. He spent over twenty years in East Africa working in fine art and publishing including eight years working as a sculptor in Kenya, before returning to the U.K. in 2009 when he set up Ed Cross Fine Art to represent contemporary African artists. Ed’s passion for contemporary art from Africa dates back 1988 when he left from his publishing job at Heinemann in London to set up his own business in Kenya. In 2004, he started collecting, exhibiting and writing about East African art in earnest, a field that was at the time virtually ignored by the mainstream arts establishment.

OMENKA MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

OMENKA GALLERY +234 8184553331 OMENKAGALLERY.COM Sept 14–Oct 3, 2013

Cedric Nunn Call and Response Omenka Gallery 24 Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos

Sept 27–29, 2013

Oct 5–19, 2013

Nnenna Okore and Adejoke Tugbiyele Matter as Metaphor

Okhai Ojeikere and Gary Stephens Networks and Voids: Modern Interpretations of Nigerian Hairstyles and Headdresses

FNB Joburg Art Fair Booth N33 Exhibition Hall Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg Background image: Nnenna Okore, Lifeforce, 2011, Burlap, paper, dye, latex paint and acrylic, varied dimensions

Omenka Gallery 24, Ikoyi Crescent Ikoyi, Lagos

Oct 16–20, 2013

J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, Dominque Zinkpè Uche James-Iroha

Contemporary Realities: Shifting Identities 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair Booth 10B Somerset House, West Wing Strand, London

Nov 9–29, 2013

EL Loko, Godfried Donkor, Manuela Sambo Kwesi Owusu-Ankomah, Ransome Stanley

Having Travelled Far Omenka Gallery

24, Ikoyi Crescent Ikoyi, Lagos

EDITORIAL

‘Omenka? is an Onitsha Ibo term? OME - is maker, traditional maker of; the maker of NKA, who carves, who creates, who communicates through the making, or the making, or NKA, being the attribute of his making through creative action... Omenka is usually a genius type...Omenka means greatness, a man of valour...’ Ben Enwonwu, January 1967 PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OLIVER ENWONWU DEPUTY EDITOR OMOLADUN OGIDAN LONDON EDITOR BOMI ODUFUNADE CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LUCIANO UZUEGBU

he Wheatbaker Ikoyi, played host to the much anticipated launch of Omenka, Nigeria’s first art, business, and lifestyle magazine. The well attended event kicked off to a fine start with a presentation by Neil Coventry, CEO, Arra Wines on the Importance of the Documentation of Artworks. It was followed by Ms Mosun Ogunbanjo, CEO, MOE Identity Assets whose presentation was themed Architecture in Conversation with Art. The evening was rounded up by Yvonne Fasinro, CEO, Renaissance Capital titled Nigerian Art as an Alternative Investment. Also in attendance was Chief Arthur Mbanefo, who chaired the occasion.

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CHINWE GIFTCHUKS

On behalf of Omenka, I would like to thank all those including our readers, sponsors, and media partners who made the evening worthwhile.

ART DIRECTOR YUSUF ARIYO DESIGNERS VICTORY JAMES SEUN ADEMEFUN PHOTOGRAPHERS MICHAEL SOSSOU ANDREW INEGBESE MARKETING AND PROMOTIONS MARY OMUNITA ADVERTISING CLEMENT DIKE CIRCULATION JAMES OJE

Cover TY Bello Wole Soyinka, 2005 To subscribe, please call +234 1 7379753-5, 8033129276, 8184553331 or go online at www.omenkamagazine.com Omenka Magazine is published quarterly by

Revilo Company Ltd 24, Ikoyi Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos T: + 234 1 7379753-5 www.omenkamagazine.com Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden save with express permission in writing of the publishers. All material is compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but published without responsibility for errors or omissions. Revilo accepts advertisements from advertisers believed to be of good repute, but cannot guarantee the authenticity or quality or objects or services advertised in its pages. Omenka does not assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations. Copyright worldwide of all editorial content is held by the publishers, Revilo Company Ltd. The name, Omenka is a registered trademark owned by Revilo Company Ltd. and cannot be used without its express written consent.

@omenkamagazine

omenka magazine

This second issue which focuses on photography, offers a lot more and is bound to keep readers enthralled. I have had the great fortune of meeting some of the best contemporary African photographers including ‘Okhai Ojeikere, one of the most iconic figures in modern Nigerian art. Omenka is off to a promising start with a ‘tell-all’ profile on him. This is followed by an entertaining feature on the LagosPhoto Festival directed by Azu Nwagbogu while our London editor Bomi Odufunade talks to acclaimed photographer, George Osodi on his forthcoming exhibition, Nigeria Monarchs at Bermondsey Projects, London. Ed Cross also tells us about the Auction Room’s recent foray into the online auction market for modern and contemporary African art. We also profile the top ten highest selling photographs on the Nigerian market as at April 2013. In addition, there are interviews with Ross Douglass, director of the Joburg Art Fair, Kavita Chellaram of Arthouse Contemporary and Touria El Glaoui, director of the newly established 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair. Among with reviews of the most exciting exhibitions of art from the continent, these are just some of the in-depth articles, interviews and profiles put together solely for your pleasure. Feel free to leave your comments for our contributors and editors on our website. Enjoy!

Oliver Enwonwu OMENKA MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

ANTENNAE

SNEAK PEEK, TRENDS

2003 - 2013

News is the first

rough draft of

history.

Diane Arbus

OMENKA MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

ANTENNAE - SNEAK PEEK

VIDEO ART POWERED BY SAMSUNG Recently, the multi-disciplinary artist has caught the attention of audiences with several local and international exhibitions. Modisakeng works primarily as a sculptor, but has a keen interest in performance art and photography, too. His experimentation with film secured him as the perfect candidate for the Samsung project. His new video will be exhibited at the fair as an installation, and played alongside a series of images taken during the video shoot, as well as one of his sculptures, which is used as a central prop in the video. A prominent signature quality of Modisakeng’s photographic work is the highly tactile, textured quality of his images which he extended into his video by filming in 4K resolution with cameras that are capable of filming up to 120 frames per second. This allows elements such as incense, smoke and flying dust to be clearly depicted moving in slow motion against a backdrop, a feature that will be beautifully highlighted by the Samsung Ultra HD screen. Since founding the Samsung Foundation of Culture in 1965, Samsung continues to make significant contributions to contemporary arts and visual culture. Partnering with Artlogic, they have turned their focus to the medium of video art. Artlogic has commissioned South African artist Mohau Modisakeng to create a video installation for the new project, Video Art Powered by Samsung. The work Inzilo, will be unveiled at this year’s fair, where it will be screened on the new Samsung Ultra HD 85-inch TV. The incredibly vivid display has up to four times the resolution of full HD, making it the ultimate platform from which to present the young artist’s new work.

notable group exhibitions include My Joburg at La Maison Rouge, Paris (2013); All Our Relations, the 18th Biennale of Sydney (2012); La Triennale (2012) – Intense Proximity, Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012); ILLUMInations, the 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale (2011); The World Belongs to You, works from the Pinault Collection at the Palazzo Grassi, Venice (2011); Touched, the

Liverpool Biennial (2010); the 3rd Guangzhou Triennial, China (2008); and Flow at the Studio Museum in Harlem (2008). He was the Tollman Award winner for 2006, the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2009, and the Rolex Visual Arts Protégé for 2010/11, working with Anish Kapoor as his mentor; in 2010 he was shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize.

HAVING TRAVELLED FAR OMENKA GALLERY November 9 - 29, 2013

Omenka Gallery, Lagos in collaboration with Artco Gallery, Germany presents Having Travelled Far, an exhibition featuring 5 leading contemporary artists from Africa; EL Loko, Godfried Donkor, Kwesi Owusu-Ankomah, Manuela Sambo, and Ransome Stanley. All the artists live and work in Germany but are drawn together by their strong African roots. Here, Togo-born artist EL Loko (b. 1950) engages issues of identity and continues in his quest to develop a universal language. Ransome Stanley (b. 1953) reflects on colonial clichés of exoticism and images of Africa rooted in Western concepts of rusticness and innocence. Godfried Donkor (b. 1964) interrogates the shared history between Africa and Europe and is known for his collage paintings with figures arising from cross-sections of old sailing ships, a metaphor for the transportation of slaves from West Africa to the New World. Owusu-Ankomah (b. 1956) addresses themes of identity and the body using his trademark adinkra motifs. Manuela Sambo (b.1964) integrates European elements dating back to the medieval ages into her art. She combines her African way to paint facial features and body decorations with European headdresses and ornamental pieces taken from historical paintings.

The Samsung Foundation of Culture has been a beacon for Korean arts and cultural development and is committed to preserving Korean traditional culture and heralding its achievements around the world while fostering international exchanges. Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art was opened in central Seoul in 2004. The art complex was designed by three of the world’s most renowned architects, Mario Botta, Jean Nouvel, and Rem Koolhaas. With a collection ranging from Korean ancient national treasures to cuttingedge multimedia pieces, Leeum provides not only exhibition space but a vibrant, dynamic cultural forum. Ransome Stanley, Maske, 2011, oil on canvas, 150 x 200 cm

NICHOLAS HLOBO AT STEVENSON GALLERY November 28, 2013 – January 11, 2014

FNB ART PRIZE

A solo exhibition by Nicholas Hlobo opens at Stevenson Gallery in Cape Town this November. The exhibition is his first in Cape Town since his Standard Bank Young Artist show, Umtshotsho, travelled to the Iziko South African National Gallery in May 2010. It begins as Hlobo returns from the United States, where he opens in The Sketch for an Opera at Locust Projects in Miami on November 8, and presents Zinintsi izinto ezimayela nam endingazaziyo in New York as part of Performa, the performance art biennale directed by RoseLee Goldberg. While elements from Hlobo’s show might be familiar to a local audience, the artist has recently introduced new materials and processes into his studio work. The white fabric cocoon from which he emerges in Zinintsi hints at one such new direction, while a recent commission by the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon used metal as both a structural and formal element. Wood has also been part of Hlobo’s language through found objects, usually colonial furniture,

FNB Joburg Art Fair has emerged with two winners for its 2013 FNB Art Prize, Nelisiwe Xaba and Mocke J van Veuren, with their exhibition of a collaborative dance and film project Uncles & Angels, a colourful, cultural celebration promoting respect for young ladies, especially by the male folk and preserving the practice of staying virgins till marriage.

Tyaphaka, 2012, Rubber, ribbon, hosepipe, packaging material, 300 x 400 x 10000cm

but has now entered his vocabulary as a raw material. Combined with his renewed interest in performance, these journeys into new materials reveal an ever-expanding practice, brought together for the first time at Stevenson’s Cape Town gallery. Hlobo, born in Cape Town in 1975, lives and works in Johannesburg. He has held solo exhibitions at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo (2011); In the Level 2 Gallery at Tate Modern, London (2008), and at the Boston ICA as part of the Momentum series (2008), among other institutions. This

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The dance/video was initially created as a stage performance examining and criticizing the contradictory notion that supposedly compels sexual chastity on young girls. The use of technology and live bodies, explores the themes of sexual control and patriarchal tradition, as Van Veuren uses programmed video manipulation and a patented optical projection method to create a montage of live video images. His technology also creates a background of multiple bodies and temporal dissonance against which choreography unfolds as a sometimes playful, unpredictable, mutual interaction. Elements of the Reed Dance and virginity test were deliberately acted-out by Xaba, either as dreams and nightmares of a young girl or as a symbol of maturity. This exhibition raised questions of what the Reed Dance has become,

Nelisiwe Xaba and Mocke J van Veuren, Uncles and Angels

and the culturally structured relationships between young and naïve girls, and older and assumingly respected men. FNB Art Prize project took off in 2011 and is dedicated to promoting both galleries and artists globally. Galleries attending the art fair nominate artists to represent them and the one with the best work is picked as a winner by the designated panel of judges. The winner goes home with a cash prize and is given a space to showcase his or her works in, the during the art fair.

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ANTENNAE - SNEAK PEEK

PIETER HUGO, KIN CAPE TOWN, October 17 – November 23, 2013 JOHANNESBURG, October 3 – November 8, 2013

WANGECHI MUTU, A FANTASTIC JOURNEY BROOKLYN MUSEUM, UNITED STATES October 11, 2013 – March 9, 2014

Stevenson Gallery will be presenting a solo exhibition, Kin by Pieter Hugo (b.1976). This new photographic series will show across both of Stevenson’s galleries, premiering in Johannesburg and opening two weeks later in Cape Town.

The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University has organized the first survey in the United States by the internationally renowned, Brooklyn-based artist, Wangechi Mutu. The touring exhibition, A Fantastic Journey, was first held at the Nasher Museum from March 21 through July 21, 2013. The exhibition will travel to the Brooklyn Museum in October 2013, the Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami, in April 2014, and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in September 2014.

Kin is a bittersweet perspective on Hugo’s homeland of South Africa. It is a meditation on the ideals of home, both familial and humanistic. It explores the tenuous ties that both bind us to and repel us from others.

Bridging from the mid-1990s to the present, the exhibition unites more than 50 works including Mutu’s signature large-scale collages, drawings, sculptures as well as illustrations and video works. The exhibition also features for the first time on public view, the artist’s sketchbooks of intimate drawings from major international collections that reveal her creative process and inspiration. Other new highlights include Mutu’s first-ever animated video, created in collaboration with Santigold and commissioned by the Nasher Museum.Trevor Schoonmaker, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher curator of Contemporary Art at the Nasher Museum, curate the exhibition.

Over the past eight years Hugo has turned his eye on cramped townships, contested farmlands and abandoned mining areas; psychologically charged still life in people’s homes; sites of political significance; drifters and the homeless; his pregnant wife, and his daughter, moments after her birth; and the domestic servants who have worked for the Hugo family over three generations. The series alternates between intimate and public spaces, with particular emphasis on the growing disparity between rich and poor, and reveals Hugo’s deeply conflicted feelings about his home. It confronts complex issues of colonization, racial diversity and economic disparity. Kin endeavours to locate his young family in a country with a fraught history and an uncertain future. Hugo describes the Kin project as: An engagement with the failure of the South African colonial experiment and my sense of being ‘colonial driftwood’ … South Africa is such a fractured, schizophrenic, wounded and problematic place. It is a very violent society and the scars of colonialism and apartheid still run very deep. Issues of race and cultural custodianship permeate every aspect of society, and the legacy of forced racial segregation casts a long shadow ... How does one live in this society? How does one take responsibility for history, and to what extent should one try? How do you raise a family in such a conflicted society? Before getting married and having children, these questions did not trouble me; now, they are more confusing. This work attempts to address these questions and to reflect on the nature of conflicting personal and collective narratives. I have deeply mixed feelings about being here. I am interested in the places where these narratives collide. Kin is an attempt at evaluating the gap between society’s ideals and its realities. Hugo was born in Johannesburg and grew up in Cape Town, where he lives. His survey exhibition, This Must Be the Place, has showed at the Fotomuseum Den Haag, The Netherlands; Musée de l’Elysée, Lausanne, Switzerland; Stimultania Photographic Centre, Strasbourg, France (2012); Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary (2013); and continues to tour. Some of his recent group exhibitions include Present Tense, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal (2013); Distance and Desire: Encounters with the African Archive, The Walther Collection, Ulm, Germany (2013);

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Mutu examines globalization by combining found materials, magazine cut - outs, sculpture, and painted imagery, sampling from sources as diverse as African traditions, international politics, the fashion industry and science fiction. She is best known for her spectacular and provocative collages

Detail: Loyiso Mayga, Wandise Ngcama, Lunga White, Luyanda Mzantsi and Khungsile Mdolo after their initiation ceremony, Mthatha, 2008

Africa: Photographs and Video from the Martin Margulies Collection, Bob Rauschenberg Gallery, Edison State College, Florida, United States (2012); Africa, There and Back, Folkwang Museum, Essen, Germany (2012); Qui Vive? 3rd Moscow International Biennale for Young Art, Russia (2012); FotoTriennale.dk, Funen, Denmark (2012); Contact Photography Festival, Toronto, Canada (2011); ARS 11, Kiasma, Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art, Finland (2011); Figures and Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography, V&A Museum, London, UK (2011); The Eye is a Lonely Hunter: Images of Humankind, Fotofestival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg, Germany (2011); and The Global Contemporary: Art Worlds after 1989, ZKM Centre for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Germany (2011). Hugo won the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Visual Art in 2007; the KLM Paul Huf Award and the Arles Discovery Award at the Rencontres d’Arles Photography Festival in 2008; the Seydou Keita Award at the 9th Rencontres de Bamako African Photography Biennial, Mali, in 2011, and was shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse photography prize in 2012.

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A Shady Promise, 2006, mixed-media collage on mylar, 218.75 x 271.875cm

depicting female figures—part human, animal, plant, and machine— in fantastical landscapes that are simultaneously intimidating and alluring. Her work explores issues of gender, race, war, colonialism, global consumption, and the eroticization of the black female body. Mutu encourages audiences to consider these mythical worlds as places for cultural, psychological, and socio-political exploration and transformation by making mysterious cyborgian figures pieced together with human, animal, machine and monster parts. A Fantastic Journey is accompanied by a 176-page, colour-illustrated catalogue with critical texts by Mutu, Trevor Schoonmaker, art historian Kristine Stiles and critic and musician Greg Tate.

OJEIKERE AND STEPHENS: NETWORKS AND VOIDS, MODERN INTERPRETATIONS OF NIGERIAN HAIRSTYLES AND HEADDRESSES, OMENKA GALLERY October 5 – 19, 2013 Omenka Gallery will present Networks and Voids, Modern Interpretations of Nigerian Hairstyles and Headdresses, an exhibition of work by celebrated Nigerian photographer, ‘Okhai Ojeikere and one of the fast- rising names on the continent, American artist, Gary Stephens who is based in Johannesburg. The works are presented in varying media of photography, linoleum prints and charcoal on paper, and are united by the central theme of Nigerian hairstyles and headdresses (geles) fashioned from hand-woven asooke and expensive imported textiles including damask and brocade. The show draws its title from the patterns formed by the network of interlocking branches of finely plaited hair and voids left in their wake. These patterns are repeated in the weaves of the headdresses, where they give the impression of low relief embroidery and mimic matching lace outfits populated by open spaces. This notion of interconnectedness is further accentuated by the fact that though the artists are separated along racial lines, location and age, but are brought together through the investigation of these art forms.

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Gary Stephens, Yaba Tech Art Student, 2013, charcoal on paper, 200 x 150cm

FOCUS

INTERVIEWS, PROFILES

Everyone has a

photographic memory. Some donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have film. Stephen Wright

24, Ikoyi (Modupe Alakija) Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos T. +234 81 7164 6710, 809 871 7710

OMENKA MAGAZINE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

FOCUS - INTERVIEW

BUILDING AN AFRICAN FRANCHISE Ross Douglas started his career guiding and managing camps in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Fast-forward a couple of years and he is today the founder and one of the directors of Artlogic, a company that specializes in high-end boutique fairs including the FNB-sponsored Joburg Art Fair. With a turnover in excess of 1.7 million Euros, over 20, 000 visitors expected yearly, and 35 major galleries from 6 countries across Africa and Europe, the fair is easily the largest art event on the continent and represents the single largest collection of African and South African contemporary art for sale. In this chat with Omenka, Douglas reveals the keys to his success and the challenges heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s faced on this incredible journey. OM: Who is Ross Douglas and how did you get involved with art? Ross Douglas is the founder and one of the directors of Artlogic a company that starts, owns and runs fairs including the FNB Joburg Art Fair. I became involved in art by initiating a project with William Kentridge, which involved his animated films and live music. It was performed around the world including Central Park, New York. OM: Can you tell us about this period?

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It was a time when there was not much interest in contemporary art in South Africa. Companies sponsored sport and the art scene was very small and local. By partnering with Kentridge who was already internationally acclaimed, I was able to travel and work abroad and understand the potential of art events thereby giving me the confidence to start the art fair. OM: What is your role as director of ArtLogic? I am responsible for growing our existing fairs and looking for new projects and opportunities particularly in Africa.

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FOCUS - INTERVIEW

I am not interested in the number of galleries and number of visitors as quality is what makes a fair sustainable. OM: Your career started out with making documentaries for TV before switching to commercials and now you are director of one of the biggest contemporary art fairs in Africa. Can you please tell us about these different phases and what led to the changes in your career? I suppose I have always been quite restless and like to be on the cutting edge. When documentaries became stale, I began looking for a new home but did not quite fit in the commercial world. I soon realized that companies have great budgets to promote their brands so when I started doing art events. I knew the world of corporate marketing speak, which helped a lot. The other skill I learnt from making documentaries was being creative and innovative to get a job done. When we started the art fair, we had no experience of producing a fair, so had to continually innovate, which was exciting. OM: Tell us about your role as fair director. As the fair director, I work with a team of which the curator is the most important. The fair director has to make sure that the sponsor, galleries and public are happy. The only way to do this is to improve the fair each year and we are fortunate in that contemporary art from Africa is on a roll and the art fair benefits for that. OM: What were the biggest challenges you had to overcome to get Joburg Art Fair off the ground and what strategies have you adopted in sustaining it over the years? The biggest obstacle in year one was doubt. Very few people believed that South Africa could produce a decent art fair and that interesting art could come out of Africa. Mark Read of Everard Read initiated the idea of the fair and I picked up on this momentum. OM: You are also the director of the Food Wine Design Fair and the Winter Sculpture Fair. How do you cope with your busy schedule and raising sponsorship for the three fairs? I have an excellent business partner, small team and use lots of technology and outsourcing to third parties for things like building and logistics. Artlogic has built a strong reputation in the South African industry as the company capable of producing quality events that are not sports. We have also built up a very strong and loyal database of people who love our events, so that we do not need to market as much as we did in the early days. OM: What makes the Joburg Art Fair different from other art fairs and how does it establish its identity in relation to other African art fairs? We have always been focused on contemporary art from Africa and will continue with that focus. I think we have a size and scale that

other African art fairs don’t have and I imagine that we will now see many small art fairs springing up in Africa, which is good for all of us in the art world. OM: What were the highlights over the years including projects, and in your opinion were they successful? A major success for Artlogic was producing Kentridge’s version of the Magic Flute which sold 11, 000 tickets, something unheard for opera in South Africa. However, the greatest success was the first year of the art fair and for this we are very grateful to First National Bank who backed us despite us having no track record. OM: What is your focus this year and how do you measure the fair’s overall success? I measure the success of the fair on a number of things like, how long visitors spend at the event, how many new buyers who we don’t know attend, how well galleries sell and most importantly what the quality of the art work is like. Unlike many other fairs, I am not interested in the number of galleries and number of visitors as

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quality is what makes a fair sustainable. OM: The fair is entering its 6th year. How would you describe its growth, not just in terms of the number of galleries participating, but also its reputation outside the country? Our timing has been good in that the world has “discovered” art from Africa and our fair is a good place to find it. I can now go to most places in the world and people would have heard of the FNB Joburg Art Fair, which really helps in attracting the right collectors. OM: How has the fair changed over the years? And what kind of new and exciting things might one expect to see in future? Instead of growing by getting more galleries that don’t make the grade, we keep increasing the quality of special projects that allow solo shows of top artists from the continent. OM: How would you describe the South African art collector? South Africa has a small but strong group of collectors. By this, I mean individuals with big budgets who are collecting beyond what

they can fit in their houses. After this, we have a fairly big group of people who collect for the enjoyment of living with art in their homes and buy a piece or two every year at the fair. OM: What is the response of the South African government to art and how can other African countries engage art as a tool in creating lasting social and economic value? The South African government has taken a big interest in art recently as seen by their presence with the SA pavilion at Venice. At the Venice Biennale this year, Africa was the talk of the town thanks to Angola winning best national pavilion. Also the number of African pavilions has increased and includes South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire and Angola. Europeans have been using art for centuries as a brand builder and more recently as a way to inform the other creative industries like fashion and film. Africa, possibly thanks to its diversity, young population and challenging circumstances produces great art. Governments can take advantage of this but it has to be in a supportive role and not a commissioning role – they need to leave that up to curators and experts.

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FOCUS - INTERVIEW

LONDON: AFRICAN ART TAKES CENTRE STAGE Touria, daughter of renowned artist Hassan El Glaoui may have chosen to start her life as an investment banker, but today she has made a name for herself on the art scene, assisting her father and curating several exhibitions including his first retrospective, Meetings in Marrakech. In this exclusive interview, she shares her expectations for contemporary art from Africa, and why she aims at providing an international platform for African artists through her upcoming fair, 1:54.

OM: As the daughter of the famous artist Hassan El Glaoui, one may have expected you to start your career as an artist or curator but you chose a profession in investment banking. Any particular reason for this? As much as my father knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue painting and become an artist, I cannot say the same for myself no raw talent that pushed me in that direction. In addition, my father was not keen for any of his children to pursue this path as a professional career, knowing how difficult and full of financial insecurities it can be. OM: Growing up, did you ever consider being an artist? No. But I have always been involved with the art world through my dad. OM: Does being an El Glaoui pose any challenges to live up to the name? I do believe it is difficult for anyone to live in his or her parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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shadow, and better to find your own path. As an El Glaoui, I will always try to live up to the name, a name that I am happy and proud to carry. OM: You have had a successful career as an investment banker, which in many ways can be viewed as more lucrative and financially stable. Why the shift to art? I started my career in the financial industry, and switched quite early on to the telecoms and IT industry, where I covered emerging markets (MEA). The switch has taken place progressively, covering first the continent from a business development perspective, then my involvement in art with my father, which has led to this new chapter of my life, and the founding of 1:54. OM: Can you tell us about some projects you have worked on including Meetings in Marrakech: The Paintings of Hassan El Glaoui and Winston Churchill? In parallel to my career, I have supported my dad with referencing

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FOCUS - INTERVIEW his work and organizing few exhibitions. His first retrospective. Meetings in Marrakech is the last exhibition that I co-curated with the Museum of Leighton in London. It was by far the most exciting project, because it focused on my father as a young artist. I had the chance to research on the early years of his life. The outcome was a successful exhibition that is now going back to Marrakech in October 2013 and Canada in 2014. OM: Can you mention some other artists you have collaborated with? Working full-time, preparing the launch of a new fair, and supporting my father’s work is all I was able to do for last 18 months. OM: How do you rate contemporary African art? 1:54 is here to provide an international platform and visibility for artists from the continent and the diaspora. I was impressed by the quality of the applications from the galleries we received. OM: What do you think is responsible for the growing global interest in modern and contemporary African art? A number of artistic and commercial ventures have been established recently to develop contemporary African art. Whether it is the Tate, launching a two-year African art programme and establishing an Acquisition Committee, or the African Art Museum, New York building a new wing for contemporary African art, the emergence of foundations and contemporary art centres such as the RAW Material Company in Dakar, as well as the ever-growing presence of African artists in international exhibitions (such as Documenta13, Triennale de Paris) or dedicated exhibitions such as Africa Remix in 2005 or more recently We Face Forward in Manchester, The Progress of Love supported The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts at the The Menil Collection in Houston, there has been a tremendous emergence of interest and focus around the importance of contemporary African art both locally and internationally. This has resulted in the emergence of new and young galleries dedicated to contemporary African art not only in Africa but also globally in centres such as London and New York. In addition, Africa has been on an accelerating growth path over the last 10 years, and the establishment of international artistic centres show-casing African art, have brought it to the attention of new

FOCUS - INTERVIEW global collectors. A recent example of the international appeal is Art Dubai’s recent invitation to galleries and art centres located in West Africa to form a special part of the fair. OM: At what point did you decide to start an African art fair and how did you come up with the name 1:54? In October 2011, I started by validating the idea with friends and contacts in the art world. We all agreed that it was the right time for it. I took it upon myself to develop the project with great support from Koyo Kouoh our artistic advisor and other board advisors on the project. For 1:54, I deemed it mandatory to have a name that reflects first, the diversity of Africa but underlines a common heritage. The use of numbers seemed also to be right common language. The name of the fair underlines the diversity of the continent and its art. It is not just about the fact that we are talking about one continent and 54 countries. OM: What have been the biggest challenges you had to overcome to get 1:54 off the ground? Finding sponsors from the continent to support the project. OM: Most international art fairs do not survive beyond the 2-year mark. How do you plan on sustaining the fair? The objective is that 1:54 becomes one of the most important destinations on the European culture calendar. There are other successful examples of art fairs dedicated to a particular continent. They are usually dedicated to continents whose contemporary art scenes have emerged relatively recently on the international market, and have passed the 2-year mark. Collectors are by nature, curious and always looking for new artistic experiences. There is also reason to believe that given the right platform, African art will draw the focus and attention that has recently been drawn to other emerging art scenes such as Latin America and Asia, for a much longer period. Many of the galleries who are participating in this first edition, have already shown interest in being part of future editions. In addition, there are several projects we are developing to make sure the second and

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third editions are as exiting as the first. OM: Why is your focus strictly on Africa and what have been the difficulties in hosting an African art fair in London? The difficulty is not in hosting an African art fair, but a new fair in London in general. OM: What are the factors that influenced your decision to use Somerset House as a location for the fair? I wanted an iconic location for 1:54. In addition, a strategic decision was made to host the fair during Frieze. So it was mandatory that the location was a central part of the circuit during this busy week for the collectors, institutions, and the public. OM: Who are some of the galleries participating? Are they mostly based in Africa? We have 15 galleries coming from the continent, Europe and the United States. OM: Are there any plans to invite more galleries and include other venues? This year we had more applications than spaces. Somerset House is happy to host 1:54 for a second edition, and give us more space next year; the quality of works presented by the galleries participating will always be the criteria of selection. OM: Is there any synergy between 1:54 and other art fairs that focus on African art like the Dakar Biennale, Joburg Art Fair, and Bamako Encounters? I had a chance to discuss the fair with different parties and participants at these events, and leverage on their knowledge and understand better the audience. OM: In what way will 1:54 stand apart from these fairs and other international ones? 1:54 is a platform for artists, curators, museums, and art centres involved with Africa or Africa-related projects. This means that we will have African artists who are living and working on the continent. It also means that we would not mind including works by artists such as Miguel Barcelo who has worked for many years in Mali or Olafur Eliasson who has just completed a project in Dakar for the RAW Materials company. OM: Africa has a pool of emerging talents that may not have the opportunity to participate in international fairs as galleries

Edmond J Safra Fountain Court at Somerset House, United Kingdom

prefer to exhibit more established artists to promote sales and make up for transportation costs. How do you plan on ensuring exposure for such artists? The fair is representing the galleries and is set to grow as the contemporary African art scene continues to develop. We have encouraged all the galleries to apply to the fair. Our committee is selecting galleries based on the quality of the proposed works and their programmes. Where the galleries/art centres had limited means, some reached out for grants to make up for transportation costs. The important role of the galleries/ art centres is to discover talents and support them to grow locally. OM: Many critics again argue that these African artists living and working on the continent, in contrast to those in diaspora, maybe more alive to her daily struggles and influences, and best represent African art. What is your opinion on this? Good artists are good artists! The work might be influenced, inspired or nourished by different variables and exposure, but I would not say that one represents better African art. I have seen artists from the diaspora holding and attached so strongly to their roots that it exudes even more so in their work. OM: What is the role of the fair in promoting African art? The fair will promote African visual culture. It will be a platform for artists, galleries, curators, organizations and museums immersed in African and Africa-related practices. The fair will be an amazing and unique opportunity to draw further attention to established and emerging talents from the African continent. It will raise awareness and contribute to further develop the contemporary African art scene both in Africa and internationally.

Good artists are good artists! The work might be influenced, inspired or nourished by different variables and exposure, but I would not say that one represents better African art. OM: In an increasingly globalized world where artists are embracing new media, how do you think African art will maintain its distinctive flavour? The development of the art scenes locally is important to grow and give the right visibility to the talent on the continent and keep as you say “A distinctive flavour.” OM: What are your expectations for the fair and how will you measure its success? In an immediate sense, by the commercial success of the participating galleries, the response and interest of the collectors and the general public. Further down the line, the increased awareness in local African art scenes will also serve as a gauge of the fair’s success.

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FOCUS - PROFILE

UP CLOSE WITH ‘OKHAI OJEIKERE WORDS LADUN OGIDAN

Any monkey can use a digital camera, you press a button, you play. You don’t need proper skill to practice with a digital camera because you are not printing. You only take pictures so you are not as controlled.

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FOCUS - PROFILE

Photographer, ‘Okhai Ojeikere was born in 1930 in Ovbiomu-Emai, Edo State and is one of the most iconic figures in modern Nigerian art. Growing up in the village, Ojeikere attended school up to the primary 6 level before quitting, deciding instead to pursue his dream of being a “professional man”. He was then 19 years old and took on a tailoring apprenticeship with his uncle at Ibadan. However, this was short-lived as the death of his father forced him to move to Abakaliki to live with his older sister who was married to a policeman. His early interest in photography was encouraged by a neighbour, Mr Albert Anieke, a retired photographer who advised him to acquire a personal camera and taught him basic operating skills and the rudiments of photography. Ojeikere thus began his journey into the world of photography at the age of twenty with a modest Brownie camera. Soon enough, he was sourcing commissioned assignments in public places including government establishments. In 1954, he was appointed darkroom assistant at the Ministry of Information. Regarded as a novice, Ojeikere was not allowed to take photographs but instead was given several menial tasks among which were washing and glazing printed photographs for his superiors. Ojeikere being the ambitious person he is, grew tired of the monotony and decided to improve on his skills by purchasing his second camera, a Rolleicord 2.25 x 2.25cm. Soon afterwards, he approached one of his superiors requesting to assist him in developing films from the assignments he covered. Believing he would fail, he instructed Ojeikere to first present images he developed himself from random photographs of the surroundings of the Ministry of Information before he could be allowed to assist him. Ojeikere’s photographs turned out extremely well and from then on, he was more respected and given real assignments. One of the random shots, Guguru Seller, 1954 is the oldest picture in his collection.

FOCUS - PROFILE

Ojeikere is more driven than most photographers today. He was once asked to cover the opening and closing ceremony of the Igogo Festival at Owo which is usually performed by the oba every year. On arrival, the oba rejected the idea, insisting that the whole ceremony be documented. Consequently, Ojeikere had to stay back for two weeks, so unprepared that he wore the same outfit for the entire celebration. During this period, Ojeikere made it a point of duty to go to the University of Ibadan every week to take photographs of the students. And today, he has over 2,000 photographs of the university students in his archives. In 1961, he applied for the position of a still photographer for the Television House Ibadan, a division of the Western Nigerian Broadcasting Services and the first television station in Africa. Ojeikere attended the interview with a big folder containing 24x16inch photographs from his collection. There were over 40 candidates present from Lagos who laughed at him for not having a certificate or testimonial and for being the only representative from Ibadan. Fortunately for him, his interview turned out to be a mini exhibition as his interviewer Mr Richard Taylor was enthralled by the examples he presented and hired him on the spot. In 1962, West Africa Publicity, now Lowe Lintas wanted to introduce the beverage Bitter Lemon to Nigeria and requested that Steve Rhodes, the programme director of the Television House recommend the best photographer for the job, which involved taking photographs of Miss Nigeria 1961 and1962. Once again, Ojeikere’s skills were questioned but this time along racial lines. To ensure they could at least receive a presentable shot, the representatives of West Africa Publicity instructed him to take the same picture six times. Eventually, when the film was processed, every shot turned out the same way. They soon realized their mistake and immediately offered him a permanent job, which Ojeikere turned down.

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Since 1967, Ojeikere has been a member of the Nigerian Arts Council, which organizes festivals of visual and living arts. From 1968, he began to develop series of photographs of thousands of images notably in black-and-white, exploring Nigerian culture. This has since become a significant anthropological, ethnographic and documentary national treasure. In 1975, he retired as head of commercial photography to establish his own studio Foto Ojeikere, where he serves as chief photography consultant. Despite major advancements in technology, Ojeikere still has a love for black and white photography and persists in using an analog camera to capture his body of work, shot largely in black and white. “Any monkey can use a digital camera, you press a button, you play. You don’t need proper skill to practice digital camera because you are not printing. You only take pictures so you are not as controlled.” Hairstyles is Ojeikere’s best-known and most important body of work through which he draws attention to the elaborate and sculptural forms of Nigerian hairstyles while documenting their evolving style that changes with fashion. ‘Okhai Ojeikere’s work has been widely exhibited in some of the world’s most prestigious museums and galleries including the Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain, Tate Modern, London, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. His work also forms part of several important collections like The Walther Collection, The Jean Pigozzi Collection, and the Cartier Foundation, Paris. He has been honoured with the Chobi Mela Life Time Achievement Award in Photography, Bangladesh, 2011 and the Nigerian Photography Award, Life Time Achievement Award, 2011, for his work and outstanding contributions to the development of photography in Nigeria.

Agaracha, 1974

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MARKET FILE

AUCTIONS, INVESTMENT, GALLERY, ARTIST DOSSIER

time to wait for somebody to paint their portraits anymore. The money is in photography. People don’t have

Robert Mapplethorpe

MONDAY, 18TH NOVEMBER 2013, 6PM

VIEWINGS: SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER 2013, 10 - 6PM SUNDAY 17TH NOVEMBER 2013, 12 - 6PM THE WHEATBAKER 4 ONITOLO ROAD IKOYI

LAGOS, NIGERIA

Ben (Benedict Chukwukadibia) Enwonwu M.B.E (Nigerian, 1917 - 94) The Drummer, circa 1978 Polyester resin, 66cm N10,000,000 - 12,000,000 ($ 61,425 - 73,710)

Enquiries: lagos@arthouse-ng.com +234(1)770909 +234 805 2500 195 www.arthouse-ng.com

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MARKET FILE - AUCTIONS

ED CROSS ON BEING A SCULPTOR, AFRICAN ART AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ONLINE MARKET Ed Cross

Rapid advancements in technology and the internet in recent years, has transformed the online art industry. There now exist over 300 online art market players across the world specializing in areas such as data, information research, galleries and auctions. Market reports from IBIS World, estimate online auction sales totaling US $ 287.5 million in 2011 from the United States market alone. The Auction Room adds to the growing list of online auction houses. Sculptor and Cambridge-trained art historian, Ed Cross takes us through some of his experiences in different roles as a sculptor, painter, art dealer and now curator of the auction house’s inaugural sales of modern and contemporary art from Africa on October 18.

OM: How did you become passionate about African art? I have always been an artist in one way or another and I was lucky enough to study History of Art at Cambridge University, though the nearest I got to African art then was through the prism of Cubism. The only connection my family had with Africa was through my grandmother’s first cousin, the bohemian writer, publisher and African art and literature patron, Nancy Cunard who scandalized English society by having a love affair with a black jazz musician and who is said to have introduced Picasso to African art. Part of the reason I went to live in Africa in 1988 was to practice as a painter, leaving my day job in educational publishing at Heinemann in London. In the end, I did have several exhibitions in Mombasa when I first arrived there, but gravitated back into books, setting up my own company

to represent international publishers like Cambridge University Press, in East Africa. I found and still find Africa visually inspiring in many ways. Initially, I was more interested in the “inadvertent art” there - the place is so rich in visual imagery provided by people just going about their lives, always with improvisation. There is a lot of “art” produced for the tourist trade in East Africa and that didn’t interest me at all - it wasn’t until I saw the work of Jack Katarikawe the Ugandan artist who has lived most of his life in Nairobi, and whose work I fell in love with, that I began to see that there was, of course, much more to the art scene in East Africa than mass produced Maasai warriors. I have not looked back since then. OM: You worked as a sculptor before going on to collecting and dealing? Around 2000, I discovered a love of

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sculpture and started producing portrait busts and heads in clay and bronze and at the same time started to develop a body of work using ruined dug-out canoes or fragments of boats as my materials. In the end, I got out of my publishing interests all together to concentrate on my sculpture. In time, this led me in to the world of curating and art dealing. I realized that there was a wealth of talent not being exposed internationally and I felt that the ideas and the spirit behind some of the visual art I was seeing in Africa embodied the values and qualities that make Africa unique as a continent. I also saw an amazing business investment for those who had the foresight. I wanted to be part of what I see as a cultural rebirth, post the ravages of colonialism and tyranny. I was lucky enough to find friends and colleagues who had similar interests and with their support embarked on a journey in

Mamady Seydi , Les Cyclistes, 2012, mixed media sculpture, 102 x 48 x26cm each Estimate: N1,782,510 - 2,546,450 (£7,000 - 10,000)

to the world of contemporary African art – taking me across the continent chiefly to the south and the west. One of my first port’s of call was the Dak’Art Biennale, which I first went to in 2008 and have visited/participated in ever since. OM: In what way are artists affected by their environment? For example, the lack of galleries, materials, buyers and formal art schools in certain regions? This varies a lot between countries – South Africa has an advanced art school infrastructure, Kenya does not yet have a single art school. Nigeria has the infrastructure but as with many African countries, the teaching may be in a time warp. New institutions outside the old structures have come forward to fill the vacuum like CCA in Lagos, which is phenomenally proactive, like RAW Material

Company in Dakar and Kuona Trust in Nairobi. There are new galleries and foundations emerging all over Africa, but a lot of work needs to be done. Oliver Enwonwu, the gallerist from Lagos tells me that they are launching a gallery association there to try to promote a code of conduct in the sector. Meanwhile – yes, it’s hard for artists. Hardship can in some cases lead to great art but for the most part, artists need more support to flourish and excel – one does wonder what would have happened to Wangechi Mutu and her work if she had remained in Nairobi. This is the challenge for everybody who cares about this field. But, believe me, a lot is changing and the results are going to be spectacular - I can assure you of that. OM: What do you think of the pigeonholing of the term “African Art”? Is this

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something we should try to avoid, move away from in the future? This is one of those paradoxes that comes up continually because it is very relevant. On the one hand, artists from the continent have been overlooked and now need exposure – the world needs to learn about them; on the other hand, it can be seen as a limiting category and most artists want to be seen as an artist first, who happens to come from Africa. I think one just has to be open to the art – there have been heavy debates about “primitivism” and the “exotic”, the policy of collectors like Jean Pigozzi to exclude artists that have been “educated” in Western or global art history and practices. I don’t approve of that any more than I would approve of highly educated artists and curators turning their noses up at an artist because he has never been near an art school. Meanwhile, we are beginning to

MARKET FILE - AUCTIONS

MARKET FILE - AUCTIONS funded modern art museums, which it can and I hope will - those institutions and the views of the people who run them will have a powerful effect both locally and internationally. Nigerian patronage at the Tate Modern has already helped to start a revolution in that institution. Having said all this, there is no substitute for quality artists who “sell out” and churn out works for the market without developing their practice are most unlikely to stand the test of time. OM: How important is Nigeria in relation to the future of African contemporary art? Nigeria is crucial. A leading Johannesburg gallerist told me recently that he suspected that in the end, it would be Lagos not Joburg which would be seen as the driving force in the African art world. This is because there are sufficient people in Nigeria with disposable income to collect and patronize the visual arts. There is a long history of collecting and most important of all, Nigerians “get” the logic (financial and otherwise) of investing in one’s own culture. I believe that what’s happening in Lagos in terms of the collecting culture, will spread to other African cities and that Nigerian collectors will also look for opportunities in other African countries whose countrymen may not be awake to the value of their own artists! OM: Who is behind the Auction Room and why are you excited by what they are doing? I have known the company’s founder George Bailey for quite a number of years and it’s a delight to be working with him. He was until recently, and for many years, managing director of Sotheby’s, so there is not much he doesn’t know about the business of auctioneering. George tells a story about entering the sale room at Sotheby’s, to find only one person in the room other than the auctioneer – all the business being conducted successfully by telephone and internet. The sight of those empty chairs set him thinking, and www.theauctionroom.com is the result. As a small but influential company, we can move very quickly and with agility to take up opportunities – our inaugural African Art Auction will have taken less than six months to put together from start to finish.

Richard Mudariki, Coup d’Etat, acrylic on canvas, 95x65cm Estimate: N407,450 - 662,100 (£1,600 - 2,600)

see West Africa emerge as a separate category – we will see more country categories emerging. In reality it’s a “twin track “situation, I would say. OM: Do you think there is in place a local market and an international market and do they cross over? This is something that really interests me. I do think there is a dichotomy between what sells locally, what people on the continent identify with emotionally, and an international market where ultimately museums and powerful galleries become the arbiters of taste. And of course it is never clear in which category an artist is going to end up. Artists may seem to be parochial in the way that say Jane Austen was parochial as a writer, but with hindsight may be viewed as speaking to profound universal truths. Young, savvy and educated artists are plugging themselves in to the international scene and engaging in global conversations about local and international issues – other artists may appear to be out of the mix now but their work will be re-evaluated later. It’s also about the power of patronage and institutions. If for example, Nigeria develops formidable, well

OM: Why the recent boom in the market? Why are you launching your auction now? Why online? I think it all boils down to economics. In particular, the emergence of Nigeria as a mini-super power in the region with a reformed and highly successful banking system has opened the doors to museum sponsorship and acquisition. You could say that economics has been the petrol in this particular engine – but the engine itself comprises the artists and the growing band of galleries, curators, academics, and last but by no means least, collectors who are making this happen. I am delighted and honoured to be presenting this auction. I think the timing is excellent as well as a surge in collectors buying art online - it coincides with a huge global upswing in interest in Africa and its art and specifically the launch of the first African art fair in London. We have the opportunity now to establish ourselves as a reliable and reputable platform for the international selling of modern and contemporary African art. The fact that it combines a conventional exhibition with the convenience of being online is particularly apt as it will allow us to reach the growing market of collectors all over the world. It’s also apt because so much of the exciting new commercial development in Africa is IT-based.

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ARTHOUSE CONTEMPORARY AUCTION PREVIEW WORDS OLIVER ENWONWU

Two unique Ben Enwonwu sculptures lead the Arthouse Contemporary sale of modern and contemporary African art this November in Lagos, which focuses on quality lots with exceptional works by Aina Onabolu, Abayomi Barber, Nnenna Okore, Ludovic Fadairo, Sokari Douglas Camp, and George Osodi. A small resin version of the famous masterpiece, The Drummer by celebrated African modernist Ben Enwonwu MBE is one of two highlights of Arthouse Contemporary’s November auction holding on November 18, 2013 in Lagos. The larger model of this work completed in 1978, in bronze sits on the façade of the Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) headquarters in Lagos. Its success is hinged largely on Enwonwu’s mastery in fusing naturalistic elements with the geometric forms and shapes of classical African sculpture. The graceful figure beats on a large drum, one of the oldest recorded means of communication in Africa, used in traditional society to gather dwellers and flag off events. The other work also in resin, is an elegant bust, Fulani Girl, executed in 1957 of a beautiful northern- Nigerian woman and is considered one of Enwonwu’s most accomplished works. Here, he skillfully imbues his sitter with a regal and dignified presence. The finely chiseled features and slender neck are vaguely reminiscent of another of the artist’s best-known works, Tutu (1973). Both works idealize the values inherent in blackness as the artist employed them in advocacy of Negritude, a literary and political movement developed in the 1960 by a group that included the future Senegalese President, Leopold Sedar Senghor, in rejection of colonial intellectual and political hegemony and domination. The offer of Enwonwu’s works is coming on

the heels of his success in the May 22 sale at Bonhams, where his 7 figures commissioned by the Daily Mirror fetched £361, 250 (inclusive of buyer’s premium). The result smashed the artist’s previous world auction record and points to the growing success and popularity of modern African art on the international market. Other regular names in this year’s November sale include celebrated artist, El Anatsui, Abayomi Barber, Nnenna Okore, Sokari Douglas Camp, Okpu Eze, Demas Nwoko, and George Osodi. Making a debut in the auction sales are Ghanaian painter Kofi Setordji and Ludovic Fadairo from the Republic of Benin. Both are major figures in the narratives of contemporary painting in Africa. Interestingly, the lots represent a broad spectrum of artists and reflect Arthouse’s increasing thrust towards including work by artists across the continent. Fadairo’s Dialogue, 2012 executed in natural pigments and acrylic on carton, depicts a couple sharing intimacy. His oeuvre encompasses painting, installation, collage, sculpture and work in mixed media. He seeks to understand the media he employs, which range from the traditional to the highly unorthodox including chalks, natural pigments and locally woven fabric. He often incorporates found materials, which are in themselves a work of time and history, and have their place in daily life. Largely regarded as the earliest pioneer

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Ben Enwonwu, Fulani Girl, 1957, resin, 52.5cm Estimate: N12,000,000 - 15,000,000 ($73,500 - 91,900)

MARKET FILE - AUCTIONS

Aina Onabolu, Portrait of Sisi Nurse, 1922, 64 x 41cm, oil on canvas Estimate: N10,000,000 - 12,000,000 ($61,200 - 73,500)

Nigerian artist, Aina Onabolu is represented by Portrait of Sisi Nurse, 1922, 64 x 41cm, oil on canvas, estimated between N10,000,000 - 12,000,000 ($61,200 - 73,500). This is an accomplished painting that reflects the finest traditions of Western portraiture. Working in Lagos, Onabolu painted some of the most influential politicians of the time, several of the surviving portraits commissioned by friends of his guardian, Dr J.K. Randle. Abayomi Barber is an influential painter and sculptor and is famous for his surrealist landscapes. His merging of the pre-colonial African Ife and European artistic traditions led to the emergence of the Abayomi Barber School, a significant movement in the historical narratives of modern art in Nigeria. His painting Farmer’s Dream, 1998, oil on canvas, 114.3 X 81.5cm, estimated between N2,000,000 - 2,500,000 ($12,250 - 15,310), presented in the auction is a fine example of his broad oeuvre. Ben Enwonwu, The Drummer, 1978, polyester resin, 66cm Estimate: N10,000,000 - 12,000,000 ($61,200 - 73,500 )

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Textures, forms and colours of organic materials such as clay and wax, or discarded materials like newspaper, paper bags, recycled

cardboard boxes and rope, inspire Nnenna Okore’s installations, which engage the cultures of consumption and recycling in Nigeria. Discovering reusable value in these found objects, she enriches her work with several layers of meaning through the repetitive, laborious and unconventional processes of weaving, sewing, rolling, twisting and dyeing. Okore is represented by a single work in the auction Molten II, 2013, cloth, resin, plaster and acrylic,117 x175.5 x 7.5cm and estimated between N1,700,000 - 1,900,000 ($104,100 117,000). The sale, held at the Wheatbaker in Ikoyi, is one of two auctions annually and offers an opportunity for both seasoned and beginning collectors to pick up unique pieces by well-known Nigerian and African artists. With an emphasis on quality rather than quantity, Arthouse Contemporary’s November sale of modern and contemporary African art will include less lots than a typical one, but at least 7 of which, should sell for well into the seven-figure range. The sale is expected to exceed N124, 398,500 ($ 777, 490) achieved at last May’s sales.

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MARKET FILE - AUCTIONS

BONHAMS SOUTH AFRICAN SALE PREVIEW Bonhams established in 1793, continues to take the lead in the sale of modern and contemporary art from the continent. Its recently concluded May 22 auctions themed Africa Now achieved £1,294,562 in total sales. This figure includes £361,250 (buyer’s premium inclusive) for Ben Enwonwu’s 7 wooden figures commissioned by the Daily Mirror in 1960, a new record for the artist and the top price for the evening.

Bonhams Africa Now sale was a resounding success and, with over twenty new world records being set, was the highestvalue auction of African modern and contemporary art ever held. This recent success sets the tone for Bonhams forthcoming sale of South African art on October 2, 2013. The South African sale is expected to fetch between £4,040,700 and £6,030,000. Among the lots included are, Irma Stern’s The Malay Bride, 1942, expected to achieve the highest sale. The painting is enclosed in an original Zanzibar frame, rich in ornamentation and reflecting a fusion of African and Indian cultures. Stern also has 14 works featured in the sale of which no fewer than 6 are expected amongst the top 5 sales. Irma Stern is unarguably a pivotal figure in narratives of modern art in Africa. The Malay Bride is a fine example of her output from

the 1940s and is considered one of her most accomplished paintings. Typical of her work created during this period, the subjects are imbued with a refined serenity and appear isolated. Stern’s fascination with Islam and the splendor of Muslim women in their finery and adornment developed from her exposure to the Cape Malay culture. This enchantment grew with her two trips to Zanzibar in 1945. In this work, Stern utilizes tonal contrasts of blues and turquoise and saturates the image with a serenity and softness while drawing attention to the golden hues in the bride’s medora or headdress. The thin paint and sketchy brushwork is unusual of her characteristic lavish paint, while the glowing golden tones enable a sense of harmony to permeate the scene and renders the sitter in a poised and contemplative mood.

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The bride is portrayed as perfectly regal with no suggestions of a slave ancestry of the Dutch East Indies. While the detail in her bodice is not overly elaborate, adhering to religious dictates, it reveals only her face. Like many of Stern’s sitters, the beautiful and dignified bride bears no name, but provides an elevated and embracing close-up image of a culture deemed inferior by the white minority. Other works featured in the auction are; Alexis Preller’s Native Study (mapogges), (£100,000 - 150,000), Jacob Hendrik Pierneef’s Hartebeestpoort Dam, (£70,000 – 100,000), Vladimir Griegorovich Tretchikoff’s Journey’s End, (£70,000 – 100,000), Gerard Sekoto’s Waiting, (£60,000 – 100,000), and Stanley F. Pinker’s Self in Hot Spot, (£70,000 – 100,000). www.bonhams.com

Irma Stern, The Malay Bride, 1942, oil on canvas, 69 x 51cm. Estimate: N255,000,000 - N382, 250, 000(£1,000,000-1,500,000)

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MARKET FILE - AUCTIONS

Bonhams South African Sale, October 2, 2013 Lots

Artist

Title and Date

Estimate