Femi Coker is the manager of Orisun Art Gallery, Abuja. In this interview, the culture advocate and visual artist speaks about some misconceptions about art, including who can own artworks. He also speaks on why art galleries cannot be threatened by blockchain technology that has redefined art consumption and production globally.
Orisun Art Gallery is among the foremost galleries in Abuja, what makes the gallery unique?
The gallery evolves out of the personal collections of a passionate collector and consumer of art over a period of three decades. He has been collecting painstakingly all forms of art from all over Africa but most specifically from Nigeria. It is only very few and truly committed individuals that would want to collect resources that promote, showcase our full cultural history and heritage spanning decades and sometimes centuries. The gallery caters to exclusive works of art from major masters in Nigerian art and I can make bold to say that we have eight sections. Each section is so unique that we cater to virtually every art form from the usual paintings on canvas, mixed media, oil, acrylic on canvas to installations to digital art to different as well as sculptural pieces in brass, bronze, wood, iron, stone. These reflect a deep cultural consciousness of who we are as a people. A people of class, sophistication.
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We are not just an enterprise of gallery business, we are also a cultural centre because we cater to educating, informing, enlightening and creating a consciousness of our identity, the significant value of our culture and also the need to preserve its heritage such that future generations yet unborn will have a deep understanding and an awareness of who we are as a people.
What does it take to be an art collector?
You have to have an interest and curiosity to want to know the significance of acquiring artefacts, artworks that reflect who we are as a people. It is not just the beauty or craftsmanship of it, not even the aesthetics but also the intrinsic and extrinsic value of such possessions. Art is also an asset because if you buy a piece of art today, the value appreciates especially if the artists die because he will no longer be producing anymore. In Europe and North America, a piece of art could be used as collateral to secure a loan or get funding from the bank. Art is not just for the beauty, the joy or pleasure you derive from possessing such creative pieces but also because of the value. It is seen as an asset for people who run art galleries, they know the value of buying a piece of art and keeping it for some time.
There are cases that a collector would be attached to a piece that regardless of the money offered would not want to let go
Cuts in…. that doesn’t apply to only collectors; it also applies to artists too. Some artists don’t desire to sell their works because a piece of art is a reflection of the soul of the artist. So, most people do not like to give away or do away with something that they have an emotional bond with. Many things go into the process of making a piece of art apart from the pain, sweat, blood that goes into the process. The experience of the artists that go into a piece cannot be quantified in terms of monetary value but because of economic and social needs, some of these assets have to be traded. Everything that goes into the process is such that you cannot normally or ordinarily place a value on a piece of art.
As the manager of the gallery, was there a time you find it difficult to let go of an artwork despite the amount offered?
There are certain works that no matter the amount offered for them, you don’t want to sell because some of them can become heirloom. That brings us to the issue of museums. We had museums in homes, shrines, palaces all over Africa and some of those objects in the museums had to do with our consciousness as a people. How our parents and forefathers were able to interpret circumstances, how they were able to surmount challenges and create institutions. All these objects have been appropriated in museums all over Europe. It is very unfortunate. There is a new awareness coming up now, you see younger people are picking interests in expressing themselves through digital art and it is the way to go now. Everything is becoming digitalised, there is a new awareness where African art is becoming more promoted through this unique expression and interpretation.
If museums were held in high esteem, are you not worried about the inadequate museums in Abuja for instance?
There is a big challenge with policymaking and implementation in the art and culture space. You won’t let someone else determine and influence your narratives, it is a very sad thing when you are not promoting your narrative as a people. When you go abroad, the first place you may want to visit is their museums because it encapsulates their total life as a people. Then the next place is the library. If somebody is visiting Nigeria for instance, the first point of call should be our museum. If the government does not see the need to resuscitate and revive this most important resource of preserving and promoting our heritage as a people, then we have a problem. There must be adequate funding for museums in Nigeria. How do you teach young people about the past, their present and project the future? A museum is not just a house or a building, it is a place where our history as a people is preserved and kept. If the people are not particular about their history and they don’t want to pass it to generations unborn, then there is a huge lacuna that must be filled.
It is a big challenge for the government to set aside adequate funding not just for museums but for cultural studies and research such that people will become more interested in gaining knowledge and passing the knowledge on.
You refered to digital art earlier, do you think galleries are threatened by blockchain technology that has transformed art?
Change is constant and if anyone is not willing to be flexible and adapt to change, then they will become irrelevant. The trend is actually influencing and affecting every stratum of life. If artificial intelligence is essential to science, technology, why won’t it be essential to art? There is plenty of room that I don’t feel threatened. With the conventional gallery space, people will still come to pick their art objects but I always feel that whatever trends at the moment has an influence on what product emerged out of a creative expression. I strongly feel that digital art appeals to younger people but for those who are the usual collectors, the old breed, they don’t feel bothered about it. Those objects carry memory and time which will take a long period of evolution to make. I am not saying there isn’t so much that goes into digital art, I am saying there is so much experience that goes into a masterpiece. If someone has been in the industry for six decades and is still consistent, you can imagine what kind of pieces he produces.
What do you think Nigerians can do to get the best out of art galleries?
The challenge with art galleries is the dearth of knowledge of the purpose and importance of art. Most people have the gross misconception that art caters to those who are sophisticated, high net income earners and wealthy. Art is an integral part of our lives and it is an indispensable part of who we are as a people. Every piece of art is affordable according to the taste and income of the person who wants to acquire it. Art is therapeutic, when you come to a space like this, there is so much colour, creativity, and there are varieties of art forms and you get inspired. You also get to be calmed. You also get to have some spiritual or emotional connection. Most people don’t realize that buying a piece of art is not just to add aesthetic or beauty to their space, it has a lot of intrinsic value to it.
A lot of people think art is expensive and it is not for poor people. That is a gross misconception because the truth is even the roadside street artist get patronized. People need to understand that beauty and creativity is part of who we are as a people and has a lot of influence on our lives, relationships. Art influences and inspires many people.
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