NIGERIAN MODERNISM: CLOSING CELEBRATION OF ART AND CULTURAL POWER

[00:00:00]One of the most significant exhibitions showcasing Nigerian art on the international stage has been marked with a special farewell event in London.

[00:00:08]Hosted at the Tate Modern, the evening brought together artists, collectors, business leaders, and cultural figures to reflect the remarkable successes and lasting influence of Nigerian modernism.

[00:00:20]Arise Entertainment and Culture Correspondent Sheyitan Atigari has this report.

[00:00:26]>> A closing celebration of art, legacy, and cultural power. Nigerian modernism forever alive. This exhibition ended a month ago, but this evening Access Holdings and Coronation Group has brought together for the final time industry stakeholders and art aficionados to an exclusive evening celebrating this landmark edition at the Tate Modern.

[00:00:50]>> It may have officially closed its doors a month ago, but the legacy of Nigerian modernism continues to resonate. Over the course of its run, the exhibition welcomed thousands of visitors from across the world, including the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during his visit to the United Kingdom in March.

[00:01:10]More than an exhibition, it became a powerful statement of Nigeria's artistic influence and cultural identity on one of the world's biggest stages.

[00:01:20]>> Access Holdings, Coronation Group, and others came together to support Nigerian modernism for I guess one fundamental mental reason, which is that our culture as Africans and certainly as Nigerians is a superpower, and I say this all the time.

[00:01:37]Um 9 months after about 190,000 people visited this exhibition, 2,400 or 2,800 students on an excursion that I pushed for also visited the exhibition.

[00:01:53]President came, president of Nigeria came.

[00:01:56]Uh His Royal Majesty donated three works.

[00:01:59]Um It's just been marvelous. I think hundreds of millions of people have experienced Nigerian art and culture at its very very best. Projected of course, you know, at one of the most historic historically relevant museums, the Tate.

[00:02:18]And it's a combination of many people's work. We are supporters. I mean, I think the artists take the pride of what has happened of course. The museum and its great team for all the facilitation, the curators, and of course the people who have come and visited the exhibition.

[00:02:38]>> Transformation that happened because of this exhibition, as Ben Okri said, was a seminal moment for Nigerian and African art. It's very important that we have opportunities to tell the right stories about who we are as a nation, who we are as a people, and exhibitions like this give us the opportunity. So, people's eyes, the West's eyes are opened. I look forward [music] to many more opportunities for Nigerian and African artists to show the world what they have.

[00:03:14]African music, Afrobeat, is recognized everywhere. This is our time.

[00:03:21]>> The exhibition achieved almost 200,000 visitors coming from all walks of life and backgrounds, many of whom were visiting Tate for the first time. Many of whom were Nigerians living here in London who really wanted to get close to the art that they'd grown up hearing about.

[00:03:37]Others had never even visited Nigeria and just wanted to learn more about it.

[00:03:41]So, it's so important when you're putting together an exhibition like this to bring together new audiences to see works, but also to kind of create dialogue and discussion. And one of my favorite things about this exhibition is how it inspired an intergenerational conversation among mothers and fathers and sons and daughters, really about this idea of what it means to be Nigerian, but also what it means to celebrate one's cultural heritage, and what it means to view art as a kind of catalyst for telling our stories.

[00:04:10]>> The different reality that creates an art, unlike the perspective that emerged from the Renaissance and became standardized into the only way that art can be.

[00:04:22]>> Set against the backdrop of Nigeria's journey to and beyond independence in 1960, Nigerian modernism celebrates a generations of artists whose work challenged convention while drawing from rich Nigerian traditions and international artistic movements.

[00:04:39]Featuring paintings, sculpture, textiles, and poetry from more than 50 renowned artists, the exhibition highlighted a movement whose influence continues to inspire contemporary artists worldwide.

[00:04:52]>> I mean, it's about time that we had that sort of international visibility. It projects the artist, it gives them the kind of visibility, and it puts them right at the epicenter of modern art discourse in the world. And so, it's an exhibition that all Nigerians are proud of. I mean, you can see how they came in droves. We're happy with Access Bank their sponsorship cuz it just shows that they are the artist and they are also the supporters of the artist as well. And those two must go hand in hand to make sure the Nigerian art is giving the sort of visibility that it deserves. And that's why we're all here to celebrate, of course. It's a proud moment in Nigerian history. There are many great Nigerian artists like Ben Enwonwu, Yusuf Grillo, who gave respectability to the Nigerian art profession. And to see them being honored like this is something that we're immensely proud of. And so, it just shows you the breadth of talent, you know, that Nigerian artists have always had from eons on, you know, and to bring them all together in a room like that at the Tate Modern there's something short of beautiful.

[00:05:49]>> It's so exciting to see Nigerian modernism at the Tate. It is the biggest and best exhibition of this category that I've ever seen. And you know, I live here in London, and to me, this is not just about Nigerian history and African art history, but this is global art history. This is also relevant for us in the UK and in the West as well.

[00:06:07]So, a real groundbreaking exhibition, and it was such a privilege to to see it here.

[00:06:12]>> I'm feeling immense proud pride in Nigeria to have so many Nigerians here mingling with the people from the Tate celebrating Nigerian art and the impact of Nigerian art is truly uplifting. For Access, it's great to have so many of our friends here enjoying a more intimate gathering, and it's a fitting way to close the exhibition from May. It would have been terrible not to have had it close in the way that Ben did this evening. So, huge pride in Nigeria, which is in my heart.

[00:06:51]>> While the exhibition itself has come to an end, its impact is only just beginning. By bringing Nigerian modernism pioneers to a global audience, Nigerian modernism has cemented its place within the international art canon and reaffirmed the enduring power of African creativity. This closing celebration is more than a farewell.

[00:07:11]It's a tribute to a movement that transformed artistic expression, strengthened cultural connections across continents, and ensured that Nigerian modernism will continue to inspire generations to come.

[00:07:24]>> [music] >> Shayeton Atigarin, Arise News, London.