‘Homage to the Red City’ as art fair holds November 29 to restore ancient city’s artistic glory
By Editor
THE desire to redefine the negative narratives about Edo, its heritage and people as one of the motivations for an art festival designed to promote the culture, artists and other creatives of Edo State has given birth to The Benin Art Fair (TBAF) set to begin in Benin City from November 29 December 8, 2024 to bring the year to a culturally animated end. It will hold at Abstract Backyard on
33 Aiguobasimwin Crescent, GRA, Benin City.
The 10-day event aims to reclaim Edo State’s prominence in contemporary art discourse within Nigeria and across Africa. It is also to honour the rich artistic heritage of the state while providing a platform for traditional and contemporary artists from the region to thrive. The fair is an influential cultural art event designed to spotlight and support traditional, contemporary, and modern and avant garde art and artists from Edo State. Tagged ‘Homage to the Red City,’ the festival promises to serve as a dynamic platform that celebrates the unique artistic history, traditional art practices and innovations of the culturally rich ancient city. T-BAF seeks to bring the world’s attention to Edo State’s exceptional creative culture, redefining the narrative of its unique artistic legacy.
The Director of Benin Art Fair Olorogun Jeff Ajueshi said the fair is to revitalize Edo State’s creative culture and establish it as a premier global arts and culture destination. He stated that the current situation must be reformed along with the morbid stigmatization of violence, cultism, terrorism, prostitution, human trafficking, drug trade and other nefarious social vices that have overshadowed the sustained artistic and cultural legacy of the state. These narratives, he said, have led to the conception of The Benin Art Fair (TBAF) that will project the profound artistic heritage and contemporary creativity of Benin people to the global art market.
The fair will feature breathtaking activities which include but not limited to antiques and cultural showcase, contemporary art exhibition, photo festival, among others.
Ajueshi said the long term objective of the fair which will be curated by Mr. James Irabor is to rejig a restoration process that would reposition the creative culture of Edo State, particularly its artistic and cultural sites to their rightful places on the global tourism map.
“We intend to rekindle the dwindling charm and allure of this ancient city by highlighting its ability to produce top talents in the local traditional art practices and the international creative industries. This project is significant because it allows us to bring the beautiful experiences of international art shows and cultural events we have witnessed to the delight of our people. More importantly, it will enable us create a lasting legacy project that celebrates and honours our history and government dedication to preserving her people’s image while protecting their cultural and artistic heritage.”
He assured that the fair will successfully position the state as a key player in the global art scene, drawing attendance and participation from various destinations while enhancing the international cultural status of Edo State.
Director of Benin Art Fair, Olorogun Jeff Ajueshi
According to Ajueshi, “It (fair) is geared towards evolving into a cornerstone of the Nigerian art subsector, acting as a transformative cultural catalyst capable of generating and expanding revenue for the ancient city of Benin and the entire Edo State in general.”
He recalled that as a visual art stakeholder, “I have witnessed talented artists from this ancient historically, culturally rich and artistically vibrant Edo State, which has produced some of the most reverred personalities in the creative industry being sidelined.”
Highlights of the event include private viewing, live wood sculpting and performance art, art talk by eminent artists like Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya and Enotie Ogbebor on bridging traditional and contemporary art practices, panel discussions on topics such as art education, cultural preservation, and the role of photography in capturing history, Benin Art Fair Concert Night featuring celebrated Edo music legends.
The Benin Art Fair is proudly supported by notable partners and sponsors, including Hyde Energy, Abstract Backyard, Abstract Restaurant, Thought Pyramid Art Centre, Coronation, Platform, Gramen Petroserve, Kellog Tolaram, Trustbanc, The Lakeyard Cultural Centre, Prime Agro Seeds, Edo State Government, Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism Edo State, The Osa Okunbo Foundation, Stella Stars Sports Academy, Benin City, AK&Co and Daz Teea Cosmetics.
