Nigeria Content Online

A four week
exhibition cum artist residency programme which held at ‘The
Whitespace’, Ikoyi, Lagos, culminated in an Art Auction on Wednesday
March 30. Works by Victor Ehikamenor, Alex Nwokolo, Richardson Ovbiebo
and Tayo Olayode, the four artists whose had participated in the
exhibition and residency, were auctioned at the event. “It was an
artist experience for four weeks”, said Ehikamenor who was the last
artist to show his works in interactive sessions with the public during
the residency. “Artists spent a week here and showed their works. Today
is the finale and some of the works done during the residency will be
auctioned,” he added.

The four-week
programme was organised by ‘Lost in Lagos’, an online portal that
provides up-to-the-minute information about where and how to make the
most of living in Nigeria’s commercial capital. “Lost in Lagos is an
online guide where listings for shopping, restaurants, spas, fashion
shows and many more can be found,” said Tannaz Bahnam, who runs the
portal. “We decided to take it beyond the site and give people events
to attend,” she added.

According to
Bahnam, this is the second event organised by Lost in Lagos. “We wanted
to do a different kind of art exhibition. Each week we had a different
artist and today we’ll be auctioning some of the works they worked on
during the residency.” On the criteria for selecting the artists for
the programme, she informed that, “We wanted a combination of
established artists and upcoming artists. I had seen Victor and Alex’s
works before. It was really all about personal taste, in addition to
showcasing works that are a diverse; a little bit of everything.”
According to her, ‘The Whitespace’ was chosen because they have created
a platform for people to use their space through affordability. Bahnam
disclosed that there are two more events lined up for ‘Lost in Lagos’
this year, including ‘The Chef’s Experience.’ “What we at ‘Lost in
Lagos’ [have] set out to do is to create the appreciation for finer
living and culture,” Bahnam said.

Ovbiebo, a sculptor, spoke about his experience during the
residency. “It was good. There was a lot of learning and I had the
opportunity to meet people, speak about my work and get feedback.”
Oviebo added that, “the experience was more about the feedback and the
relationships formed.” The artist, whose glass work, a piece of
installation art, was on display at the auction, described the piece as
mimicry of a skyscraper in Lagos. “It’s a metaphor for Nigeria and its
people,” he said. About four artworks were sold out of the 15 which had
been put up for auction.