Occupy Nigeria the feature exhibition of CCA

The initial steps of Occupy Nigeria have been taken this year, and The Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Lagos, has been expressing and exploring the national “movement of civil disobedience” through film, performance art and discussions.

On January 1st 2012, when the Federal Government of Nigeria increased prices of petrol from $1.70 per gallon to $3.50 per gallon, they removed the affordability of petrol and so destroyed the only benefit Nigerians regarded as receiving from their country’s wealth of oil. The series of nationwide strikes that followed were instigated by the Nigerian Labour and Trade Unions and other civil organisations, and Occupy Nigeria was born.

With these initially modest demonstrations gathering resistance and strength, similarities have been drawn between the dithering economies, political corruption and disintegrating education and health systems, of Nigeria and the United States of America. Indeed, the movement has been inspired by both Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring.

It is within this context that the CCA has announced its unlimited programme of observational art works. The CCA seeks to engage with and discuss the foundation mechanisms of Occupy Nigeria, the impact it has currently upon the nation’s state of governance and the potential future and effects of the movement upon the country.

With the gathering momentum, political voices have erupted on both sides of the government. The BBC reported that President Goodluck Jonathan said the subsidy was economically unsustainable. Conversely, Yusuf Tuggar, a former member of House of Representatives has said: “It is not acceptable, the majority of Nigerians are living on less that $2 a day.” Demonstrators and police have clashed violently, with protestors shot at and at least three dead as a result of wounds sustained from the protests.

In response to this activism, CCA began its programme with ‘ON#1’ on 28th January. Photography projections from Uche James-Iroha, Abraham Oghobase, Andrew Esiebo and Victor Ehikhamenor were featured alongside performance artwork by Jelili Atiku and other contributions by the artists Chinwe Uwatse, Aderemi Adegbite, Jide Odukoya and Chris Okonkwo. Emeka Ogboh presented 250 of 5000 Twitter messages he received throughout the demonstrations, reminding of the contemporary edge that modern social media had to play in the revolutions in Tunisia and Liberia.

Discussions accompany the displays, with a forum/panel providing an accompanying dialogue to the art. Geologist and cultural activist Toyin Akinosho, lawyer Jide Bello, writer Toni Khan and actress Joke Silva were featured.

Occupy Nigeria is developed and organised by the Curators of CCA, Bisi Silva and Jude Anogwih.