Dolly Kola-Balogun opens Institute of Contemporary African Art and Film in Ilorin

By Editor

KWARA State Government has launched the Institute of Contemporary African Art and Film (ICAAF) in the state capital, Ilorin. The monumental institution is historic for the country, as ICAAF will be the first visual art institution of international repute in Nigeria.

Founded under the advisory of Dolly Kola-Balogun, Founder and Creative Director of Retro Africa gallery, ICAAF is a purpose-built cultural museum of visual and cinematic arts, with post-production studios, facilities and screening room, art galleries and studio workshop. Kola-Balogun is the first gallery director to successfully plan and execute a visual art institution of this magnitude in the country from ground up. The museum will open in 2022.

While Nigerian films have made their mark through Nollywood, ICAAF is the first monumental cultural institution that celebrates and promotes Nigerian creativity. Through this development Kwara State will begin to foster an environment of learning, education and tourism for the region.

Upon its formation, the state subsidized but privately-run Institute will become a point of focus through its community-based outreach programmes, promotional activities and strategic partnerships with educational and cultural institutions within and outside Nigeria.

Designed by Studio Contra, a young Nigerian architecture firm, ICAAF will be an impressive architectural landmark combining contemporary design with a diverse programmes spanning across mediums.

The project is led by Kola-Balogun’s sister, Olayinka Dosekun-Adjei, an architectural and urban designer, who has led architectural practices around the world. ICAAF is a community-driven facility that celebrates the local culture content while offering a futuristic vision for Nigeria.