Come Monday July 13, 2020, all focus will shift to the virtual space for the annual Wole Soyinka International Cultural Exchange, WSICE.
This shift to the virtual space was occasioned by the global COVID- 19 pandemic presently ravaging the world.
The shift to the virtual space also applies to the Program Exhibition which will be held virtually this year. Now in its third installment, ‘Timeless Memories’, is an art initiative series created and curated by Oludamola Adebowale to celebrate the legacy of Prof. Wole Soyinka and other well-meaning individuals in the creative art industry.
“The idea of the Timeless Memories project series is to project the legacy of Professor Wole Soyinka and the amazing body of works he has created in new innovative mediums for this generation and the generation to come,” Adebowale said.
In July 2019, the series started with the ‘Timeless Memories: A Decade of Iconic Celebration’ Exhibition which celebrated the 10th year anniversary of the WSICE Project and the 85th birthday of Prof.Soyinka. The Exhibition was well attended by about 2000 secondary school students. An array of archival images spanning over 10 years of activities of the WSICE Project was on display.
In November 2019, the ‘Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka’ was staged at Freedom Park, Lagos. The Exhibition featured illustrative artworks around Prof. Wole Soyinka, alongside a 23-minute Documentary and a 17ft Mural which was on display.
This year’s Virtual Exhibition is titled ‘Timeless Memories; The Humanity of WS’ draws from the WSICE Theme “I AM because YOU ARE”, and also aims to reinforce the commitment of Prof. Soyinka and the objective behind the WSICE program – which is primarily educating young minds for a better tomorrow.
The Virtual Exhibition will feature new illustrative works, some works from the November 2019 exhibition, and also an E-Art book that will be available for download for free on the WSICE Website. The Virtual Exhibition will be hosted on the WSICE website. It will run from July 13th to July 1st, 2021.