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 The Pan-African Circle of Artists is
not in doubt about the imperative of the just concluded Pan-African Conference
of the Status, Role and Working Condition of the Artist in Africa. It is, so
far, apparently PACA’s biggest and most demanding project in terms of the energy
and other resources (including finance) that went into it. Almost completely
sponsored by the Prince Claus Fund in The Netherlands, the event has as its
remote objective, the hope to “revive and reinforce the significance of art and
aesthetics in the harsh and deeply dehumanized environment in Africa.” Although
Engr. Yemisi Shyllon (PACA Patron) and art patron Ms. Angela Onyeador gave
financial assistance, interestingly, there was no support from the government or
its agencies, both within and outside Nigeria. Although invitations were sent to
people in government, including Ministers, gallery and culture administrators,
and senators, non of them attended this epochal meeting. Invitations and
entreaties sent to O.A.U. and ECOWAS all met with unexplained rebuff. An
administrator at Nigeria’s National Commission of UNESCO who had been invited to
attend as a Special Guest did not show up and also had not the goodness to send
a representative.
We find it most worrisome and
regrettable that this conference, with its crucial theme, did not hold any
interest or import for some of the organizations mentioned above. While the
attitude of O.A.U. and ECOWAS could be blamed on the general apathy that
pervade contemporary Africa, there comes a time to turn a new leaf, a time when
apathy should transform to enthusiasm (and the conference provides a good
opportunity). In the same vane, the fact that UNESCO and its commission in
Nigeria could send no paper to the conference calls for serious concern. Having
done a similar conference in the past, UNESCO should have seen this as an
extension of its efforts in the 1990s and participated in the meeting as an
earnest of its good faith in ameliorating the situation and work conditions of
the artist in Africa. Curiously, this was not the case.
But for us at PACA, the wheel of art
must turn in the face of all odds. With the above scenario, the conference
acquires added meaning and imperative. It amplifies the problems the conference
set out to address and demonstrates how “harsh and dehumanized” the environment
in Africa can be, especially for the creative person. For if those empowered to
make things happen in the art scene are comatose, art itself runs the risk of
becoming otiose and consequently losing its ability to sustain, ameliorate, and
revarnish society.
Thus the conference, rather than be
threatened by the absence of art administrators, culture arbitrators and some
other expected participants, found strength in it and drew on it in search for
essence and clarity in the lack-lustre relation between art and society in
contemporary Africa.
Originally structured in four panels,
the conference had the following broad sub themes with some clarifying notes:
Panel I
Art, Artists, and Society in
Precolonial Africa
Co-chairs: Prof. John Picton and
Prof. Ola Oloidi
Before the advent of colonization,
art originally belonged to the centre of society, the very soul of it from where
society’s life derived. The artist was not necessarily alienated from society;
although he needed some constructive aloofness to be able to focus on the
intricacies of his vocation, he remained, to paraphrase Achebe, the lone cock
that crowed in the distant private compound, but which belonged to the
community.
In the light of this fact, this panel
shall focus on the place of art in pre-colonial Africa. What constituted art?
Who were the artists? Who were the patrons of the art? How relevant were the
artists and their works to the workings and perpetuation of society?
Panel II
Art, Artists, and Society in
Postcolonial Africa
Co-Chairs: Prof. Margaret Nagawa and
Mr. Frank Ugiomoh
There is no doubt that colonization
brought with it, extraneous systems of education, with new patterns of science
and technology which have tended to widen the gap between art, technology, and
society in the so-called modern era. With the displacement of communalism by
hyper-individual and now faced with the large-looming, intimidating,
implications of globalism, what is the role and status of the artist in
contemporary Africa, and how are the role and status enhanced by the prevalent
socio-political and economic situations in the continent?
Panel III
The Status and Work Conditions of
Artists in Contemporary Africa.
Co-Chairs: Jennifer Ord and and Kunle
Filani
It is now obvious that Africa
re-entered a new form of colonization with the attainment of political
independence from the middle of the 20th century. The situation has been
sustained by mental and material poverty orchestrated by gross mismanagement and
corruption that characterize leadership in Africa. Consequently, war of various
shades, hunger and apathy have taken a great toll, and things which otherwise
would be taken for granted, are generally a luxury. How has such a psyche
impacted both positively and negatively on the work of the artist in Africa? How
has it influenced the teaching, learning, dissemination, and promotion of art in
Africa? What role has the governments, museums, galleries, the copyright
councils, and other national and international institutions played to ameliorate
this condition in the last century and in the threshold of this century?
Panel IV
Art Propagation and Patronage in
Africa: Beyond the Bread-and-Butter Syndrome
Co-Chairs: Prof. Yacouba Konate and
Peter Ezeh
The Socio economic reality in Africa
has foregrounded material values over and above others which are relevant to the
creation and sustenance of a human community. Things and enterprises which
cannot guarantee wealth and power are not critically appreciated in contemporary
Africa. As art presently cannot guarantee these in the highly monetized social
milieu in Africa, it suffers serious neglect from individuals and government as
a result of a pervert sense of development. Consequently, beyond commercial
exhibitions and art fairs, Africa’s arts are seldom propagated (in the real
sense of the word) inside the continent. Much of the serious dissemination has
been initiated elsewhere.
Against this background, how can the
African artist be encouraged to rise above the challenges of mundane living in
order to attain real professionalism? As a corollary to this, how can the
governments and other relevant institutions across the continent be sensitized
to their role in this imperative and to the humanizing capacity of art in
relation to nation building and technological development? What can be done to
rescue Africa from the so-called “zones of silence,” using art as a datum for
confronting the dangers of passivity and anonymity, especially as the
West-engineered monologue of globalisation envelopes the entire world?
In addition to the above, there were
other suggested subthemes which were conceived in such a manner that they would
roughly be accommodated in the four panels. The suggestions are as follows:
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Ethnicity and the Quest
for Creative Excellence in Africa
A good number of African countries
are bazaars of ethnic nationalities and cultures. Most often, this reality
encourages division and competition which can affect the work of the artist in
various ways. In some countries, it not only summons some degree of image crisis
upon the art tradition and identity, it also impedes any constructive concert on
the art scene which could transform into a tool for the pursuit and articulation
of the common good. What are the implications of this situation on the status
and possible role of the artist in society?
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Art as Social Concern: The
Role of Art in the Transformation and Development of Society.
If we agree that art is a social and
socializing enterprise which cannot achieve its potentials and goals in
isolation from other factors in society, how much impetus and support has the
government, society’s agencies, and peoples in Africa given to art and artists
to enable them attain these goals? How has the art-cultural policies in
different African countries encouraged the artist to contribute vigorously and
meaningfully to the workings and dynamics of society?
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Art of Politics/Politics
of Art: The Place of Art in the Lives of the Individual and the Society.
The severance of art from
socio-political life has been described as “the greatest misfortune of modern
times.” This fact is very palpable in much of Africa where politics and, at
times, soldiery have been placed above all else. The urgent questions here are,
does art merely represent a peripheral phenomenon which is to be patronized
peripherally as “amusement” or “magic” (a la Collingwood)? And, is politics
necessarily such a sterile enterprise that it should be so tragically insulated
from the peace and salve which art can provide? Of course, these questions could
lead to the corollary of what the implications have been of the continued
distanciation of art from politics in Africa.
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Hit and Run: Between the
Artist and the Socioeconomic Demands in Africa.
With the economic downturn and the
attendant rise of a rather suicidal religious revivalism in most parts of
Africa, how does the artist oscillate between the lure of creative license and
the imperative of survival? Beyond the artist’s own intuition for survival, how
is his/her work affected (positively or negatively) by the dominant vision and
aspiration in the society? Although a number of African countries parade
impressive arrays of successful artists, it is a fact that a good number of
these were ‘made’ largely by non-African institutions and forces. Outside this
group, the rest are hit-and-run artists who are neither here nor there, but lay
claim to art by virtue of their relation with it as an alternative meal ticket.
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Art, Artists, and Cultural
Policies in Africa
Many African governments have enacted
cultural policies for the smooth operation of their various culture circuits. In
addition to these is UNESCO’s official policy on art and artists which may have
been endorsed, even adopted, by some countries. In many of these countries,
these documents are no more than mere printed matter locked away in dusty
closets. Against this background, what roles can the artists and government play
in contriving workable policies that can advance and enhance the status, role,
and work condition of the artist in Africa?
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In the Heart of Darkness:
Problems of Writing on Art in Africa
It is often said that the
perpetuation of art and its traditions depend largely on the manner and quality
of propagation/dissemination it enjoys. In other words, it is through
dissemination of art that its history and criticism can be augmented and carried
on. In Africa, the dearth of art literature is not only adversely affecting the
wholesome development of art, it has also encouraged the colonization of the
field of African art studies by so-called “intimate outsiders.” So far, much of
the existing literature is the result of the exertion of a few journals and the
print media, and the question that needs to be asked now are: What role does the
press play in the dissemination of art in Africa? What is the quality of that
role and how has it complimented, encouraged, or postponed a sustainable and
credible business of art history inside Africa?
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Angels in the
Diaspora/Devils at Home
The quest for identity and authentic
voice has been the concern of African artists, curators and critics. Since the
dying years of the last century, this has given birth to a lot of activities
relating to African art. These activities, unfortunately, are mainly engineered
from outside even when they happen on the continent. The situation is not too
different even for events that originate from Africa. In some instances, African
artists and curators who apparently would advance “Western sanctioned
aesthetics” are preferred to their home-based counterparts. This has not only
led to a dual vision of African art, it has also encouraged a few African
artists who are either domiciled in the west or who have access to Western
grants and institutions to continue to arrogate to themselves the right to speak
for Africa at all times. Whether or not this has helped African art and Africa
in the face of their fundamental developmental difficulties can be measured by
the kind of art curricula, scholarship, and works that function inside Africa,
in relation to the bamboozling theories and fanciful narratives which have been
spun around African art largely by African artists and curators in the Diaspora
in recent years. The question here is why is African art (how ever it is
defined) making so much wave abroad while there is very little to show for it at
home?
Although over thousand letters and
emails were written in the course of preparations for the conference, only about
forty eight abstracts were received, among other numerous responses. Of this
number, forty two abstracts were accepted and published in form of a book. Yet
fewer than forty papers were presented at the conference proper. There were
over seventy participants in all. Not unnaturally, participants from Nigeria
dominated the event. But although only about nine countries were represented in
the conference, issues raised and the attendant debates cut across regions of
Africa. Indeed the picture that emerges is that most African countries share the
same problems as far as art and culture are concerned. From the ministries of
culture through the art councils, public museums, and private institutions, all
suffer from the inverted value syndrome that defines contemporary Africa. There
is no doubt that the artists have done well in Africa in spite of these
apparently insurmountable odds. But they could do better with the right kind of
support and patronage which they critically lack at the moment. And in
performing better they would be more able to contribute to the development of
their societies, since the work of art is ultimately a basis for the socializing
dialogue which sustains and perpetuates society.
The conference does not seek to fill
this vacuum. It should not fill it. It cannot fill it. But it can initiate
action(s) toward that goal. That is precisely the context in which it was
conceived, and we hope that sooner or later, it would meet all expectations. Yet
we recognize that it can only do this if and when the proceedings are properly
published and circulated among relevant circles.
The attached Panel Reports and
Communiqué have been articulated to provide further insight into the proceedings
of the conference.
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