Financial giant, Access Bank Group demonstrated its unwavering commitment to the growth of the contemporary Art in Nigeria, recently, when the Group, for the sixth time, sponsored Art X Lagos International Fair, as a Gold Sponsor.
The four-day event, held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently, saw the bank reaffirm its commitment through its impactful presence at the 2021 edition of the Fair during which the 2019 winner of the Art X Prize funded by Access Bank, Etinosa Yvonne showcased her deeply insightful and thought-provoking project, ‘It’s all in my head’.
The immersive multimedia project, curated through research, conversations and photography layered with text, was embarked upon by the artist in her quest to explore the coping mechanisms of survivors of terrorism, and extreme instances of conflict and cruelty in Nigeria.
The exhibition presented the layered portraits as holograms in a bid to make the survivors ‘physically’ present in the space, employing sound to bring their stories to life.
Beyond providing funding and mentorship for the Art X Prize winner, Access Bank also -showcased its creative spirit through the debut of the ‘ENIYAN’ mask installation at the Fair in collaboration with fast-rising contemporary artist Yusuf Aina.
Speaking on Access Bank’s collaboration with Art X, at the opening night of the fair, Group Managing Director, Access Bank, Herbert Wigwe described Art X as a platform through which African art is soaring and achieving global recognition. He also pledged the Bank’s continued support toward the empowerment of African artists.
“For us at Access Bank Group, the idea behind collaborating with the Art X Lagos fair was to ensure that we empower African artists with a platform to showcase their works and change the narrative around Nigeria positively,” Wigwe said.
Credit: tribuneonlineng.com
