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OVERCOMlNG MAPS 4
Report
The study tour of
East Africa by The Pan African Circle of Artists began on the 22nd
of November, 2005 when the Nigerian party, made up of Ayo Adewunmi,
Abel Mac Diakparomre, Grace Ngozi Ojie, and Chikwe Eheli, converged
at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria to
commence the journey to Uganda and Kenya. Initially, many PACA-Nigeria
members had hoped to participate in the tour, but due to lack of
sponsorship only the aforementioned artists could make the trip. The
group flew first to Nairobi, Kenya and then journeyed by road to
Kampala, Uganda, to commence the tour, and then returned to Nairobi
for the Kenya aspect of the tour.
November 23,
2005
On arrival in
Nairobi, Lorraine Amollo, a Kenyan artist was at the airport to
receive the party and guide it to Akamba Transport Company in
main-town Nairobi for the road journey to Kampala. The party arrived
the border town of Busia at about 3.30 pm. It was observed at the
border that there was orderliness in the transactions of the
immigration and customs officials. This was a clear departure from
our experiences of corrupt and tardy practices during similar tours
in the West African sub-region in the previous years. The journey
continued from Busia to Kampala. It must be observed however that
the condition of the road was so bad that it took much longer to
cover the distance between Nairobi and Kampala. The state of the
road also made the journey extremely stressful.
The party arrived
Kampala at about 7.0Opm to the welcoming hands of Henry Mujunga, the
Assistant Project Coordinator and Daudi Karungi, the
Director/Founder of Afriart Gallery in Kampala. From the bus
terminus, the party left for Catherine Hotel located in Wandegeya
where lodging accommodation had been reserved.
November 24,
2005
A visit was paid to
the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts of the
Makerere University in Kampala. This visit was under the guidance of
Enoch Mukubi. On the way to the University, however, the party made
a brief stop-over at the studios of Enoch Mukubi on Kampala Road. At
the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, the party,
which now included some Ugandan artists, met Dr. George Kyeyune, a
lecturer in the School, who conducted the party round the
departmental infrastructure.
The Margaret
Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts is structured into the
Department of Industrial and the Department of Fine Arts. Dr.
Kyeyune explained that the department admits persons to a three-year
programme because the admission requirements stipulate that places
are available for only holders of Advanced Level qualification in
General Certificate of Education examinations.
At the time of this
visit, a workshop was holding in the school's gallery. As a result,
many of the gallery exhibits had been removed to the store. The
party was, however, granted access to the store where the objects
were kept. The party particularly observed the jewellery collection
which Dorah Kasozi, a lecturer in Fashion design, explained were
made from locally sourced materials.
After the tour of
the department, the party had lunch and thereafter proceeded to the
venue of the Roundtable Conference at the main exhibition hall of
Uma Showground, Lugogo. Daudi Karungi, Founder of Africart Gallery
made this venue available at his expense and as his contribution to
the event. His solo exhibition was also running at the time of the
visit.
The roundtable was
well attended by Ugandan artists in spite of the political situation
in the country as at the time of the visit. The lead speaker, Dr.
George, Kyeyune, of the School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere
University, presented his paper which examined the background of art
in East Africa against the situation of contemporary art and
aesthetic education in the sub-region. He discussed the need for
art and the society to engage in meaningful and productive dialogue.
Thereafter, the roundtable Chairman, Abel Diakparomre (Vice
President of PACA-Nigeria) moderated discussions, comments, and
questions. At the end of the discussions, Henry Mujunga gave a vote
of thanks. The event was closed with a group photograph of all
participants.
November 25,
2005
On this day, the
party visited the National Arts and Culture Centre that houses art
shops and Alliance Francaise du Kampala. Craftsmen produce and sell
their local crafts at the venue. The party also visited the
Tulifanya Gallery. Works in the in the gallery included those of
Eria 'Sane' Nsubuga, the party's tour guide for the day. Most of the
works on display were paintings by Ugandan and Tanzanian artists.
From here, the party went to see the historic Kusubi Tombs.
November 26,
2005
The party left
Hotel Catherine at about 6.00 am for Akamba Bus Terminus where it
boarded a bus for Nairobi Kenya. The journey back to Nairobi
provided opportunity for members of the party to note some
interesting landmarks on the Kampala-Busia-Nairobi route. The sides
of the road were intermittently adorned with deep valleys. In
between the valleys were sugarcane plantations which bear evidence
of the two counties' richness in sugar production.
Tea plantations
were other noticeable landmarks on the route. The Kampala-Nairobi
road features plateaux on which tea plantations are located. The
principal centre for cultivation and processing is Kericho. On this
road also lies part of Lake Victoria and part of the Nile River at
Jinja. The electricity power used by the whole of Uganda, according
to informants, is generated from a hydro-electric system at Jinja.
Other things found on the road included rice plantations, which as
the party was informed, are owned by Asian farmers. These
plantations show the strength of agriculture in the economy of
Uganda and Kenya.
The party also
observed certain peculiarities in the traditional architecture of
the two countries. It was observed that in Kenya, the traditional
houses were built mainly on square plans but in Uganda, the houses
are mainly from round plans. The two countries share a common
characteristic of utilizing cut stones in the building of houses.
These stones are machine-cut and are laid like normal cement blocks
and chucked with cement mortar. The house is left unpainted and thus
both the material and method of building are exhibited.
The party arrived
Nairobi at about 8.0Opm. Again, Lorraine took the party in her car
to a Hotel for lodging.
November 27,
2005
This day was
scheduled for sight-seeing. Being a Sunday, some members of the
party took off time to worship in churches located around the Hotel.
At about 11.OOam, the party's guide, Lorraine Amollo, arrived at the
hotel. The party then visited the Nairobi Shopping Plaza where an
exhibition of Crafts was going on. Crafts on display at the
exhibition depicted the rich cultural heritage of Kenya in
particular and East Africa generally. Some contemporary artists also
had stands at this exhibition. The party had discussions with some
of them. Lorraine was one of the contemporary artists at the
exhibition.
At noon, Ramalo
Eateries at the City centre was the choice of the party for lunch.
This choice was in order that the party may have a taste of Kenyan
local meals. After lunch and further sight-seeing around the city
centre, the party retired to the hotel at about 6.00pm to tidy up
the report of the study tour of Uganda.
November 28,
2005
This was a rather
busy day. The party departed the hotel for GoDown Art Centre, the
proposed venue for a Roundtable and workshop. The Director of Kuona
Trust who was supposed to assist with arrangement for the Roundtable
and workshop was not available. Also, there was no evidence that the
Director delegated anyone to act on his behalf. However, the
Outreach and Communications Coordinator of the Trust, Mutheu Mbondo,
received the party and introduced it to some of the
artists-in-residence. As it was obvious that the Roundtable could
not hold in Nairobi, the party spent time to discuss with Kenyan
artists and interviewed some of them. Those interviewed included
Ogonga Thorn. The party also visited Rumoma Gallery on the ground
floor of the Rahimtulla Tower on Upper Hill Road. James Mbuthia, the
working Coordinator of the gallery told the party that the works of
about 500 artists Thorn within and outside Nairobi were on display.
Images seen in the gallery exhibited certain similarities with the
art of West Africa.
At 4.00pm, the
party visited the University of Nairobi. Beginning from the main
campus, the party went round the Art and Design Department of the
University. Lorraine Arnollo, a post-graduate student of the
department conducted the party round. The party also had a brief
discussion with Lilac Osanjo of the Graphics section and John
Mayenga of the Textiles Design section. Both are lecturers in the
Art and Design Department. As the sun set on this particular day, it
also drew the curtain on the programme of Overcoming Maps 4.
A get-together was held later in the evening to mark the end of the
Study Tour.
Although it is
obvious that all aspects of the tour were not fully realised, it
remains an eye-opening experience for the Nigerian and East African
participants. Not only did it help the participants to appreciate
the art and social experience of each side better through the
discursive and practical exchange of ideas, it also challenged them
to rethink some of the realities in their various countries as they
affect them as artists and citizens of those countries.
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