UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

Akoka, Lagos State, Nigeria

VSA 388 Assignment

Studies and Practice in Visual Arts

THE DEVELOPMET OF
CONCEPTUAL ARTS
IN AFRICA
WITH LAGOS AS A CASE STUDY

Lecturer in Charge
DR AKANDE
THE DEVELOPMET OF CONCEPTUAL ARTS IN AFRICA WITH LAGOS AS A CASE STUDY BY ADELEKAN FORTUNE

INTRODUCTION

African art is belived to be a deliberate organization of symbolic ideas in a way that

inuences the viewers and the users. When evaluating the works of African art, it is
noticed that attention are not usually placed on the ideal of beauty, but on the convincing
interpretation of the work. African works does not imitate nature rather, it is a
transcendent works of Art. they are beyond mere beauty, complex and difcult to
elucidate. The languages spoken, ethnic identity, norms and traditions, education,
science and technology and the natural resources of the people inuences the mode of
production. sometimes, the materials used in producing this works speak louder than
the object of art. This fact is seen in almost all the states in African especially the major
culture in Nigeria.

Looking at Lagos for example, Lagos is rapidly changing from a developing city to a
developed city. The wide use of Modern gadget is gradually taking over the old
appliances. In Art today, more collectors are interested in collecting abstract, surrealism,
hyperrealism, and conceptual artworks. In fact the conceptual Artists are dominating
the sphere of art than the indeginous movement such as Araism, Onaism, and Ulism.
This is due to the inuence of technology. What is conceptual Art? What is African
conceptual Arts? Who are those that practices conceptual art in Lagos? How has it
impacted the lives of Lagos Artist? In this research, we will examine these questions in
more detail. The purpose of this research is to increase your awareness on African
conceptual art in Lagos, and identifying the various artist that practice conceptual arts in
Lagos State.
THE DEVELOPMET OF CONCEPTUAL ARTS IN AFRICA WITH LAGOS AS A CASE STUDY BY ADELEKAN FORTUNE

WHAT IS CONCEPTUAL ARTS ?

Conceptual Art is an historical art movement from 1960s to 1970s in which the idea
function as the artwork itself, i.e shifting the value and quality of the artwork from the
physical object to the immaterial concept. It originated in the 1960 in United State of
America by artist such as Sol le Witt, Joseph Kosuth, Lawrence Werner e.t.c.
Conceptual Art was rst named by an American theorist and composer Henry Flynt
in 1961.
Conceptual art involved a redenition of traditional relationship between artist and
audience, empowering artist and enabling them to operate both inside and outside
the gallery system.
Conceptual art is a form of art in which the Co cert is paramount to the visual
sensory component of the nished work. It emphasizes the importance of idea over
the technique of aesthetics, mostly used to express the abstract.
Conceptual art is not dened by physical form, but the foundation of a concept that
serves as the engine of Creating Art. It can be and can look like almost anything.
This is because unlike a painter, or sculptor who will think about how best they can
express their idea using paint or sculptural material and techniques, a Conceptual
artist use whatever materials or whatever form is most appropriate to putting their
idea across to the audience.
It is used as an attempted fundamental restructuring of the viewers relationship to the
art object. It critique of system or representation and presentation pitched art
marking towards dematerialization of the object, thereby placing loss value on the
perceptual code through which art is traditionally received.
Characteristic of Conceptual arts
1. The artwork is the idea, not the execution of the idea
2. Conceptual Art break open the denition of art. It frees artist of the traditional
convention
Conceptual art is the pretext of beauty and skills, and criticises the establishment of
usual Artworks. With the arrival of cubism, surrealism, and pure abstraction,
Conceptual Art frees artist of the question what is beauty in art.
Conceptual art is also called post object art or art as idea. It is an idea base work
that is usually manipulated by the tool language.
THE DEVELOPMET OF CONCEPTUAL ARTS IN AFRICA WITH LAGOS AS A CASE STUDY BY ADELEKAN FORTUNE

WHAT IS AFRICAN ARTS ?

African arts is deep. It contain complex meaning with historyical event of the people.
African objects were never ends in themselves but signicantly seen as a work that
perform an object of aesthetics, nonvisual code, performative action, a uid system of
exchange and relationship cord that ties the artist, the object and the audience together.
In African Arts two things are constantly in operation; the work and the idea of the
work. African arts is object bound, but its meaning and intentions is paradoxically
anti-object. it is also bound by many ways of conveying ideas which can be done
through speech and oral communication.

Moreover, African art usage cut across both music, performating art, religious and
cultural activities. The object is often described as monumental art. They possess the
capacity to survive for thousand years. The common media used in making such
works include; wood, clay\terra cotta, bronze, Ivory, stone, metal, gold, brass, rock
and so on. These media are durable and they can be found within the environment.

Apart from this, Traditional or tribal African works are typically religious and spiritual
in nature. Some that are carved from wood, deals primarily with the human form
(and sometimes animal or mythical) while others shows a creative spirit and skill that
exhibits good balance, craftsmanship, attention to detail and nishing. the essence
of this African design shows the complexity and identity of the creator. A good
example of this is the chiwara of Bambara people. Besides, Figurative represention
of the human form, fashioned primarily from wood are stylized and abstracted.
Most African works are not easy to understand because they carry more meaning
and communicate proverbs. Example is the gold weight of the asante people. They
are often used as a form of communication between people and supernatural forces
and beings.

Never the less, there is a widespread emphasis on expressive individualism while

simultaneously being inuenced by the work of predecessors. The artistic creativity is
inheritable, or transmittable from one generation to the other. this quality seen in
African art makes us conclude that expressive individualism is the bedrock of African
arts.
THE DEVELOPMET OF CONCEPTUAL ARTS IN AFRICA WITH LAGOS AS A CASE STUDY BY ADELEKAN FORTUNE

WHAT IS AFRICAN
CONCEPTUAL ARTS ?

Conceptual art in Nigeria started as early as 500 BC. then, the Nok, Benin, ife and Ibgo
ukwu culture, exhibits conceptual art form in their sculptural piece. this conceptual
form can be described as a complex form of art that reveals the history, culture and
religious activities of the black. That is, it is a form of art for life sake. The sophisticated
decorative symbols of this cultural art is due to the differences in the custom and
traditions of some ethnic groups, languages, availability of materials, and the religious
activities of the region. It is important to know that conceptual art in Nigeria cut across
all sphere of Art which are performance art, Fine and Applied Art, music and literary art.

Conceptual Arts in Nigeria follows two direction, these are; art as idea, and art as
action. This concept can be found in the works of Nigeria musician and performer,
Fellowship Anikulapo Kuti, and a Nigeria erforming and recycling artist,Yusuf
Durodola. this two believes that something can be created from nothing and the
element used in producing their works seaks louder than the message they are passing
across to the audience

Conceptual arts plays a very vital role in every social activities of a community.
Lagos as a case study, is the economic strenght of Nigeria. This is because Lagos
accommodate business men and women, artist, musicians, fishermen, and experts of
different parasteter. Conceptual art is striving in Lagos.