Background
Afrika Heritage
2006
will be the 6th edition of The Pan-African Circle of
Artist's biennale. It began at Didi Museum, Lagos, Nigeria, in 1995.
Since then the event has become a major art gathering in Nigeria.
The 6th
edition of the Afrika Heritage will be held in Lagos at Pendulum
Centre for Culture and Development. Although it will be held on a
small scale, 15 Nigerian and non-Nigerian artists will be selected
to present very strong works in diverse media and on diverse themes.
As usual, this
edition will continue to position the PACA Biennale as a networking
instrument among African artists with the singular purpose of
promoting peace and social development in the continent through the
means of art and creativity. But the part of the reason for playing
down the scale for this edition is to enable PACA properly appraise
the project and device strategies for a re-launch and improvement in
2008.
About PACA
In 1991 a group of
students led by C. Krydz Ikwuemesi from the University of Nigeria
(at Nsukka) initiated the Pan- African Circle of Artists as a forum
for the promotion of art and culture from an African perspective.
The aim, concept and identity of the organisation (PACA) transcend
geographical boundaries, racial, political and national differences.
PACA has identified its role as that of a positive and relevant
machinery for addressing stereotypical attitudes that manifest
themselves culturally, socially, and politically from an artistic
perspective.
Although PACA was
initiated in Nigeria, it does not belong to Nigeria only, but to
Africa as a whole. The aim is to create an Africa-centred
organisation with the purpose of recognising the development of an
Africa-centred art scene for the benefit of all Africans. The Pan
African Circle of Artists has, since its formation, supported this
aim by seeing its mission as advancing the cause of the arts by
creating a home-grown voice for the continued dissemination of the
Arts of Africa on Africa’s own terms.
Presently the
success of African artists tends to be measured by representation in
the major showcases of art in the capitals of Western Europe and the
USA. Mounting an exhibition or staging a performance in Europe or
the US stands as a singular dream of most artists of the so-called
periphery. By not questioning this model and simply doing our best
to increase our visibility in it, we are inadvertently contributing
towards maintaining an unbalanced global system and an Occidentalist
cultural monotheism. In fact, cultural exchange with artists in
African countries does take place, but with such infrequency as to
render it invisible. This is counter-development.
African artists
frequently complain of being marginalised by government and society
as a whole. But to what extent are we responsible for our own
marginalisation? How many artists are able to match their quest for
visibility with a struggle for relevance beyond a rarefied
discourse? Even in cases where artists do produce work that does
engage critically with 'real' issues, one often finds that many of
these same artists seem to lose their perspective when it comes to
participating in a lopsided ‘international’ arena.
Having said this,
it is also important to challenge other powerful bodies to address
the marginalisation of not only African art but Africa as a
centre of art. Funders need to be encouraged to put more
emphasis on supporting home-grown projects and the media could play
a more prominent role in highlighting the results of these
endeavours. The European Renaissance began with art and yet no
mention has been made of the role of art in the much-mouthed
‘African renaissance’ that is often the song of bread-and-butter
African governments.
The Theme:
“Shifting Centres”
The history of
humanity is littered with various attempts at the centering and
concentration of power and influence. These attempts have
manifested themselves in all human endeavours, be they economic,
political, social or cultural. Today the world is again in the
throes of such attempts at centering.
With the fall of
the USSR, talk of an ‘end of history’, as a history of contending
ideas, gained currency. Western democracy and capitalism, with
associated values, were said to be triumphant with no likely
challenge to their hegemony. The USA, currently the only recognised
super power, is now using its power and influence to achieve a
vision of hegemony. The US’s hegemony has engendered an attitude of
‘there is no alternative in people’s minds’. Africa could set itself
up in opposition to this ‘dominant view’. But to do this would mean
that we recognise its dominance and power as a centre. And yet if
one looks at the detail of African life and art, we find many
alternatives, many ways of viewing the world. This theme aims to
rather support other cultures, give recognition to other voices and
so create many centres from which we can make meaning of our current
situation.
In Africa we are
facing a process of centering with movements such as NEPAD. There
is a danger that such movements can lead to a similar ‘control’ of
difference as seems to be the aim of the US. How do we work
together in unity without endangering Africa’s diversity?
In view of the
above, the theme, “Shifting Centres” is apt for the Afrika
Heritage 2006. “Shifting Centres” puts to question the idea of
one dominant centre and shows it to be an illusion. It proposes an
idea of centres as relationships between difference. These centres
are continually shifting and interacting with one another. It calls
on artists to be many things, activists, advocates and instigators
of change towards a new worldview. It also foregrounds the need for
cultural actors in Africa to create alternative markets, not only in
relation to Western hegemonic models but also in relation to
emergent realities on the African continent. Between now and 2008,
the concepts of “shift”, “difference” and “alternative” will frame
the conceptual and political essences of the PACA Biennale. This
year, this trifocal idea will inform the theme of the conference and
the exhibition to be organized in Lagos.
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