This article is a report of some of the most interesting and exciting events in the art space from January 2022 till now. It covers the somewhat first art criticism workshop in Nigeria to daring artitudes to historical moments in the art world in 2022.
DAMIEN HIRST BURNS CURRENCY
In July, Damien Hirst disclosed that he will be burning thousands of his works at his London Gallery as part of his 2022 project: The Currency. This decision will be executed on 10,000 paintings made by the artist in 2016 that have now also been created as NFT. Already on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Damien Hirst in a Live Instagram event burned a thousand physical paintings after selling the NFT version of the paintings.
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When one of the 10,000 paintings on NFT has been bought, the physical work of the same painting will be burned if the buyer decides to keep the NFT version of the work rather than the physical painting. This will happen daily while the project is up until October when the show ends.
Image Credit: Courtesy Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd.
From the day of the announcement in July until September 9 when “The Currency” project starts, the NFT buyers will decide which they would love to keep: the NFT Version of the painting or the physical work. As of the time of the announcement published in CNN in July 2022, 5249 were ready to keep their NFTs version of the paintings. This means 5249 physical paintings bought already as NFT for $2000 will be torched daily starting from September 9, 2022.
GOETHE-INSTITUT NIGERIA ART WRITING AND CRITICISM WORKSHOP
In collaboration with the Independent Publishing in Africa and the Society for Books and Magazines Editors in Nigeria Goethe-Institut has commenced its 6 months (August 23, 2022- February 2023) workshop on art writing and criticism. The training will feature an exclusive number of 20 young art writers, editors, and critics from Africa who will be mentored by renowned art journalists, scholars, and critics. The third phase of the hybrid art writing workshop is set to start on the 24th of October, 2022.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Art X Lagos Tokini Peterside Schwebig, Oliver Enwonwu, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Dr. Nadine Siegert, The Art founder and lead editor The Sole Adventurer (TSA Art Magazine) Bukola Oyebode, Seun Alli, Founder and Creative Director of Revolving Art Incubator (RAI), independent scholar and former University of Portharcourt History of Art and Theory Professor Frank Ugiomoh are some of the facilitators of the workshop.
Visual artists invited as guests include Bolatito Ibitola, Wolfgang Tillmans, Ayoola Gbolahan, and Victor Ehikameanoh.
The participants will also be taken through introductory editorial curatorship where they would be guided on the process of producing catalogues, publications, websites, and platforms in contemporary art on and off the African continent. They would also be exposed to the language of art writing and criticism
The free hybrid workshop will take place mostly online and sometimes in person. As part of the training, selected participants will be taken on field trips to galleries in Nigeria and will attend the forthcoming Art X Lagos starting November 4-6 2022 at the Federal Palace Hotel Victoria Island Lagos, Nigeria.
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SCULPTURE OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT ERECTED AT A NEW YORK PARK
Protesting against war, French artist James Colomina has erected a sculpture of the Russian president at central park in New York. The artist is popular for placing sculptures in public spaces without prior notice. In April, he placed in France the sculpture of a child soldier carrying a rifle that turns into a rose.
Image Credit: Andrew Kelly/Reuters
EXHIBITION OF YORUBA’S GREATEST CARVERS
Yale University Art Gallery is set to exhibit the greatest Yoruba Carvers this fall from September 9th of 2022- January 08th, 2023. The showcase will feature mostly 30 sculptures by Moshood Olúṣọmọ Bámigbóyè created during his 50-year career.
The featured sculptures are from public and private collections including National Museum, Lagos, and National Commission for Museum and Monument, Abuja, Nigeria.
Last year in 2021, on November 8th&9th, he installed two sculptures in the streets of Berlin in Germany for the first time. This was during the 32nd Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
