In Abuja, a Fiesta Conceived to Connect the Dots

The Abuja Open House initiative, currently in its third iteration, should be commended as an answer to the federal capital city’s intending art visitors’ prayers. Okechukwu Uwaezuoke reports

No doubt, it’s been a hit so far! Even as the curtains are drawn today (October 29) on this year’s edition of the Abuja Open House—the third since it was first held in 2019—with the opening of a group art exhibition and a sponsored brunch at Fraser’s Suites in Abuja’s Central Business District, there is no gainsaying the fact that it did after all get off to a great start on Thursday, October 26, at the Abuja’s showpiece Transcorp Hilton Hotel located along Aguiyi Ironsi Street in the affluent Maitama neighbourhood.

Indeed, the formal opening ceremony emceed by Imal Emmanuel Silva at Kano Hall, adjacent to the Transcorp Hilton’s Congress Hall, set the tone for the remainder of its scheduled activities. Besides brief remarks by representatives from the US embassy, the National Council for Arts and Culture, and the Transcorp Hilton, the event also featured lectures by the Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art’s director, Dr. Jess Castellote, the art historian, Dr. Kunle Filani, and the artist, Victor Ehikhamenor, and a panel discussion with Nduwhite Ndubuisi Ahanonu, Sarah Duchêne, Abdulkareem Baba Aminu, and Jacqueline Dogun Suowari. As an icing on the cake, the VIP reception, held later that evening, which was serenaded by the Turkish musical duo, the violinist Sinan Bora Saribas and the guitarist Kutluhan Gozutok, just before the official opening of a group exhibition titled Time in Perspective at the lobby of the Nordic Hotel in the Mabushi area of the city, gave the guests good reasons to look forward to the subsequent days.

On Friday, October 27, there was an artist talk with Dr. Kunle Filani, Professor Jerry Buhari, the Turkish curator, Beste Gursu, and Nduwhite Ahanonu at the Moeshen Art Gallery at the Life Camp, a Sony masterclass with Nate Genius for content creators and filmmakers, and a group exhibition opening at the Thought Pyramid Art Centre. The day concluded with another group exhibition opening at the Turkish Embassy. An art event titled “Harmony Unveiled” heralded the activities on Saturday, October 28. There was subsequently a solo art exhibition opening of the works of Sidney Osioh at the Moeshen Art Gallery and an artist talk. As for today’s group exhibition opening at the Fraser Suites, which is at 11 a.m., will feature the works of John Oyedemi, Akachukwu Benjamin, Italian artist Luigi Ballarin, and Fenegal Ejiro.

Abuja Open House, with this year’s activities rallying around the theme, Catalytic Synthesis, is a one-of-a-kind blend of dynamic art experiences and gallery hopping. It may not have been the panacea for all the ills afflicting Abuja’s emerging art community. Yet, it does provide solid foundations for possible convergence and synchronisation of the framework for learning about the federal capital city’s creative areas, developing connections among creatives, and encouraging enthusiastic consumption of the arts, comparable to a pyramid leaning towards creative grandeur. 

This was why it was conceived in the first place as a four-day event to connect and bridge the gap between Abuja’s creative audience, art spaces, and galleries by the International Institute for Creative Development (often abbreviated as IICD) in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy. Each of its iterations, explained Nduwhite Ahanonu, who co-founded the IICD with his now deceased friend Harrison Ikibah, signifies a point of divergence in progress, discovering, sharing, and learning before merging into a triangle.

For this reason also, it should be lauded as a welcome relief for the city’s would-be art tourists, since it is afflicted with none of the numbing predictability and officialdom of the major art events hitherto held in the federal capital city. In addition, its unique selling proposition—its multi-venue model—guarantees intense art and creative experiences, stimulating discussions, and assured civic and cultural exchanges throughout its four days.

The IICD has, in any case, been working for the past 10 years to deliberately develop the Abuja art scene as a distinct cultural identity. This Abuja Open House initiative could be regarded as one of its spin-offs. As a result, the event preens itself on attracting over 1500 attendees and inspiring increased gallery visits, which helps to develop new cultural competitors in the market.

There are also plans to expand the event’s activities in order to democratise art and culture. This would result in their expansion to underserved populations, increasing cultural consumption and developing new creative methods to absorb art and culture.

The Abuja Open House is without a doubt the most significant visual arts festival in the federal capital city, animating over 22 venues over four days and elevating the city’s cultural prestige. However, due to the major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the festival was only able to hold its second edition in 2022. Inspired by the success of that edition, Beste Gursu, a renowned female Turkish curator, came back with four of her compatriots: two artists, Baris Sarinas and Kadir Akyol, and two musicians, Sinan Bora Saribas and Kutluhan Gozutok.