It is with a full heart and a great
deal of pride that I welcome all – art enthusiasts, scholars, studio
practitioners, collectors, teachers and above all, the young artists for whom
we run this Festival, to this 13th edition of the Life In My City Art Festival.
I welcome you on behalf of our Founder Chief Robert
Onwuamaegbu Oji, Founder and CEO of Rocana Nigeria Limited whose vision with
dogged and sustained initial support during the early years gave life to Life
In My City. I welcome you on behalf the French Embassy and the French Cultural
Institute. I welcome you on behalf of the Trustees who have through great
personal sacrifice and persistent and unrelenting hard work created what must
now be acknowledged as the biggest and most impactful art event in Nigeria's
history.
I welcome you on behalf our major sponsors, First Bank
Holdings, The Enugu State Government and MTN Foundation, who now give us real
hope of a sustainable growth into the future.
Years ago our own Chinua Achebe had dismissed the old idea of 'art for arts
sake' as frivolous in the context of the value of writers and arts in general
within the African context. In my understanding he was not denying the value
and power of art per se, he was only emphasising the many great needs that art
must serve in the service of man especially with regard to the developmental
needs of Africa and Africans.
I recall this today in pride not just how our Festival
is gradually but surely fulfilling its founding motto, “to position art for
social development”, but also in the evidence before us that Life In My City
Art Festival based in Enugu is becoming yet another thread subtly perhaps, but
surely an additional and relevant thread in the effort being made to unite and
strengthen the social fabric of our fragile nation.
This year over 550 entries made it into the first
round of the competition from across the country. Based purely on persistent
requests from art schools, young students and
practitioners from various parts of the country the Organising Committee with
support and suggestions especially from MTN Foundation, restructured the entry
process and created new primary exhibition centres in Zaria, the North West and
Ondo in the South West. As such for this year, there were mini exhibitions in
nine centres including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Benin, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Zaria,
Ondo and of course here in Enugu all leading up to tonight's final festival
event.
The significant milestone of tonight is that for the
first time since LIMCAF began, all 100 of the owners of the works exhibited in
this Grand Finale have been sponsored to Enugu. They are here from all over the
country; they arrived since yesterday Friday 15 November. I leave you to
imagine what it feels like for a young artist to be part of such a huge
learning and celebratory space.
They are all bona fide competitors, young Nigerians
from all over who are not yet 35 years of age and whose life's work and careers
are well ahead of them. They were each chosen fair and square no quota, no
special areas, not lowered cut off points! They have cause to be proud.
At the end, among other others things, six top winning works will be announced
after being selected by the National Panel of Jurors.
Now please listen to this, courtesy of our Patron,
Professor El Anatsui, in addition to the prizes those six will win tonight, the
six young artists, owners of the winning works will join the top winners from
last year on an all expensed paid visit to and participation in the Dak'Art
Biennale, in Dakar Senegal, Twelve young Nigerians in all under 35 years of
age.
This is an unprecedented happening in the annals of art promotion in Nigeria. There were four of them in 2018; there will be 12 of them going to Dakar in 2020, all on the platform of Life In My City Art Festival, all sponsored by Professor El Anatsui!
May I at this point respectfully request our Patron and Sponsor, the great Emeritus Professor El Anatsui to please stand up and be acknowledged
Thank you
Professor! Obviously we need more like you!
But distinguished ladies and gentlemen, you realise of course that I cannot ask
the same of His Majesty the Obi of Onitsha whose special place in Life In My
City words can hardly describe nor His Excellency Right Honourable Ifeanyi
Uguwanyi under whose generous and appreciative watch LIMCAF took on a
completely new life, nor our Special Guest of Honour, His Excellency Right
Honourable Chief Emeka Ihedioha who so readily obliged us to be here – I cannot
ask any of them to stand up!
Yes we need more people like Professor Anatsui, His
Majesty here and their excellences. We need more corporate support because we
know we can do more to empower young people, to advance careers and put more
Nigerians genuinely on the world stage. Please spread the word. LIMCAF is truly
putting art to service in development in Nigeria.
Now, the other special thing about today, 16 November, is that from next year,
LIMCAF will return to the original event date of the last Saturday of October
every year. Today is a response to recent events in Nigeria especially the
sudden closure of Enugu Airport.
However we are seizing the moment. Today is also the
115th posthumous birthday of Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe whom we honour today as the
first private entrepreneur to employ an artist in Nigeria. That artist was none
other than the late Akinola Lashekan. You will hear more about that as the
evening's events unfold.
Therefore it promises to be an evening well spent.
Welcome again everyone, to Our Chairman, an outstanding doyen of art in
Nigeria, Dr. Bruce Onobrakpeya, Your Excellencies our Chief Host Rt. Honourable
Ifeany Ugwuanyi, our Special Guest of Honour Your Excellency Rt.Honourable Emeka
Ihedioha, our patrons, Your Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, Agbogidi, and our
very dear Emeritus Professor of Art, Ghana born, matured in Nsukka and now a
world art icon, Professor El Anatsui!
Welcome …. Of MTN Foundation our main sponsor. Welcome …. Of First Bank Holdings,Welcome to all here who endodwed our special prizes. The Pius Okigbo Family, The Justice Anthony Aniagolu Family, and Mr. Jeff Ajueshi of Thought Pyramid Art Centre and Welcome….from Alliance Francaise Nigeria and the Institut Francaise.
Welcome one and all! Thank you! Enjoy the evening
Elder K. Uke Kalu CON FCA
Chairman, Board of LIMCAF
