Workshop ON INDEPENDENCE AND THE AMBIVALENCE OF PROMISE at the CCA, Lagos

An interesting call for applications arrived in my inbox today via Bisi Silva of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos. Here it is:

ON INDEPENDENCE AND THE AMBIVALENCE OF PROMISE

About the Program

Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos in fulfilment of its objectives, has over the past two years presented an innovative programme of exhibitions, talks, seminars, workshops and events reaching out to a local, African and global audiences.

We are pleased to present the 2010 programme, On Independence and The Ambivalence of Promise. We start this landmark year for Nigeria and the African continent with an ambitious and innovative art photography workshop focusing not so much on technique but on methodology, critical thinking, and conceptual ideas and their implementation.

On Independence and the Ambivalence of Promise celebrates in 2010 the World Cup coming to Africa for the first time, African Cup of Nations and most importantly the 50th anniversary of independence from colonial rule of seventeen African countries including Nigeria. The intellectual underpinning of the project questions the narrow framework of postcolonial critical thinking and ideas, and considers dreams, realities and possibilities for full independence that have engaged people and communities across languages, cultures and regions - focusing on the concerns of gender, religion, nation building processes and aesthetics in theory and art. Working through guilt, self-analysis and rethinking the artificial correlation between nation states, the project suggests a new in depth approach reflecting on social concerns and questioning ones relationship to the larger totality.

Who can participate?

This workshop is open to artists in Nigeria and around Africa with visible commitment to their professional artistic practice and media. They can be working in any media - painting, sculpture, textile, ceramics, photography, video and new media, performance art, writing, theatre and dance.

Workshop Timeline

The workshop will be an intensive 30-day programme facilitated by experienced local and international artists, critics, and curators.

• From February 8th to March 6th, 2010.

• Workshop sessions will commence daily at 9.00am and end at 6.00pm

Participants must be available for the full 30 days. Absence for more than 3 days will result in the loss of participation and non-refundable fee

Workshop facilitators include some of the most experienced international artists and curators:

• Phillipe Pirotte (Belgium/Switzerland)

• Heta Kuchka (Finland)

• Giovanni Carmini (Switzerland)

• Simon Njami (Cameroon)

• Gabriella Salgado (Argentina/UK)

• Tam Fiofori (Nigeria)

• Daniella Wennberg (Norway)

• Miriam Backstrom (Sweden)

• Jide Adeniyi Jones (Nigeria)

• Rosangela Renno (Brazil)

• Senam Okudzeto (Ghana)

• Mats Stjernstedt (Sweden)

• Carrie Schneider (USA)

• Elina Brotherus (Finland)

• Akinbode Akinbiyi (Nigeria/Germany)

Project conceived and developed by Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos

Project curators: Aura Seikkula and Bisi Silva

Project Co-ordinator: Antawan I. Byrd

For more information please contact Antawan Byrd antawan@ccalagos.org

Tel 234 702 836 7106

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