How LagosPhoto Festival 2016 featured aesthetic works from 42 photographers

The foremost international festival of photography in Nigeria, LagosPhoto, recently had its seventh edition of exhibition, workshops, screening, artists’ presentation and large scale outdoor installations in Lagos.

The Festival, which featured 42 photographers spanning seventeen countries, according to its organizers, aimed to provide a platform for the development and education of contemporary photography in Africa by establishing mentorships and cross-cultural collaborations with local and international artists.

Titled: “Rituals and Performance,” the Curator, International Projects,

LagosPhoto Foundation, Maria Pia Bernardoni, said they decided to explore the act of repletion to enact the idea and it becomes like a ritual. “We looked at the repetition that shapes gender, image identity, social agency, power and social constructs in contemporary society. The repetitive acts imbued with belief become coercive and normative, it shapes our general idea of what is true and African image, gender, beauty, religion, social class and so forth.”

In the same vein, Director, LagosPhoto Foundation, Mr. Azu Nwagbogu, said the festival which ran at 11 venues (nine indoor venues and three outdoor venues) has 42 artists from different parts of the world.

Represented by Munika Wukan, Nwagbogu said: “The aim is to bring the creative community together. LagosPhoto has become one of the major events happening in Lagos. It is exhibiting a few series of work from local artists and others. We have a lot of tourists coming in.”

Also speaking , Head, High Value Events and Sponsorship, Etisalat Nigeria, Mrs. Modupe Thani, said they are proud to be partners with LagosPhoto Festival for seven years. “We have a platform that celebrates writers such as the NLNG competition and the Etisalat Photo Competition for photographers. We urge talented photographers to send in their pictures when we open for the competition next year,” she said.

“It has been interesting experience partnering with LagosPhoto Festival,” says a representative from Absolut, Lola Marcus. She adds: “The concept of rituals and performance ties with our brand so we see LagosPhoto as a celebration of creativity.”

The festival opened to the public on October 22, 2016 at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Satellite exhibition venues in arts and cultural spaces throughout the city extended to Omenka Gallery, Africans Artists’ Foundation, Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, Goethe Institut, A White Space Gallery, Red Door Gallery.

Outdoor exhibitions in public spaces in Lagos include Muri Okunola Park, Falomo Roundabout (Ikoyi), Beko Ransome Kuti Park, Awojobi Park (Onike) Freedom Park, MKO Abiola Park, (Ikeja) and Dolphin Park (Ikoyi).

The festival will end on November 21, 2016.

Special project and satellite exhibitions in conjunction with LagosPhoto include world debut of four recent series- LagosPhoto Summer School, Centre for Learning in Africa Network, Etisalat Photography Competition and POPCAP ’16.