The prevalent issues of racial discrimination, violence against women and pCOVID-19 pandemic will be the themed focus of the 41st edition of the ARS Electronica Festival.
To address these issues, Lagos-based Curator, Kehinde “Kennii” Ekundayo, will be presenting a media art exhibition titled ‘Pandemic-Pandemonium’ at the festival in conjunction with 119 other international partners with her curatorial outfit, Galeri ODUMIJE and
According to a statement made available to TCN, Pandemic-Pandemonium which is a two-part presentation is centered on the collective response of Africans living in Africa to some of the prevalent issues that threaten humankind — racial discrimination, violence against women, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst one part makes a statement on the resilience of the human spirit in the face of the deadly coronavirus, the other focuses on the valorization of the melanin-rich skin amidst the fatal hostility that accompanies it.
“Pandemic-Pandemonium is aimed at delineating some of the events that have besieged us even through these confusing times. These would include our adaptability to the pandemic crisis, the war waged against the abuse of women, and the black stance on racial prejudice, “ says Ekundayo in her statement.
The exhibition will also feature submissions from four Nigerian artistes in varying media that include poetry, photography, and video art. The artistes are Bernard Kalu, Ikenna Ogbenta, Efe Paul Azino, and Tobi ‘Tej’ Tejumola, all of whom will be represented in the festival by Galeri ODUMIJE.
Kennii as she is fondly addressed is an independent art curator based in Lagos, Nigeria. She is specific about modern and contemporary African art and has curated exhibitions around the country. Her professional practice began in March 2017 with a group exhibition of amateur photographers and has grown to curate key projects involving the likes of revered legendary artist, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, in various media ranging from drawings and paintings to film and photographs, to texts and installations amongst other art forms.
She is affiliated with the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA), a Nigerian not-for-profit platform for artists, art critics and aficionados, and culture advocates as the Communications Officer. She is also a part of the organizing team of the Lagos Book & Art Festival, LABAF, a yearly prime literacy, and youth empowerment project that is now in its 22nd edition.
The ARS Electronica Festival is centered on the latest in art, technology, and science and is held by Ars Electronica, a media art research institute based in Linz, Austria. First held in 1979, the festival has since become one of the largest and most important media art events in the world. The 2020 edition will take place between September 9 to 13, 2020.
