A Swiss Treat Before the Roundtable 

Lagos-based artist Seidougha Linus Eyimiegha (aka Mr. Danfo), bristling with ideas from his residency in Geneva, is primed for his next creative venture in Lagos. Okechukwu  Uwaezuoke reports 

Back in Lagos since June 28, Seidougha Linus Eyimiegha (a.k.a. Mr. Danfo) is bursting with inspiration from his Geneva residency, sponsored by Swiss Art Council and his next creative venture is already on the horizon! 

About this latest endeavour, this is an advocacy project that the 33-year-old is initiating this year. The event will hold from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm on Saturday, September 14 at the Alliance Française, the Mike Adenuga Centre, located in Lagos’s affluent, leafy neighbourhood of Ikoyi, and revolves around the theme: Integrating Safety into Our Culture. 

Initially, the plan was to unveil this one-of-a-kind endeavour in May, to coincide with the UN Global Road Safety Week. However, fate had other plans, as his trip to Geneva disrupted the plans, shifting the project’s focus away from its original objective. “It will be an annual programme, with a new focus of conversation each year,” says the 2014 graduate of Delta State University, Abraka. “Specifically, for this year’s edition, our focus will be on promoting safety culture on the road. Therefore, our speakers will be professionals from the road transport sector.” 

A sneak peek at the project suggests it would be a two-hour affair, revolving around a panel discussion and public lecture on transport and safety. Notably, the event will bring together industry insiders who will share their expertise and experiences. 

The panel discussion will last between 45 minutes and an hour, featuring speakers from both the public and private sectors. Each speaker will have 15-20 minutes to share their perspectives, followed by a Q&A session. The public lecture will also focus on safety, with experts sharing their insights. Ultimately, the event is expected to provide a platform for discussion and debate on key safety issues, facilitating a deeper understanding of the topic.

Eyimiegha, who earned the nickname “Mr. Danfo” from his fascination with ubiquitous yellow commercial minibuses of Lagos, arrived in Geneva on April 3, motivated by a desire to explore the Swiss traffic system. As he delved deeper, his journey took him into UN archives, where he discovered a wealth of information on road signals, safety regulations, and conventions spanning nearly a century.

Next, he sat down with insiders from Transports Publics Genevois and SBB Historic, gaining a deeper understanding of the city’s transport network. This was further enhanced by a visit to the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich and Swiss Transport Museum, which enriched his understanding of the system. Additionally, exploring signalisation materials from the International Organisation for Standardisation provided valuable context. 

As he immersed himself in Geneva’s safety culture, Eyimiegha was struck by the city’s meticulous approach to signalisations, thoughtful cityscape designs, and steadfast commitment to pedestrian safety. Moreover, the Swiss public transport system won his admiration for its seamless efficiency and impressive safety record.

Along the way, he leveraged innovative tools like Google Maps and transport apps, which he found surprisingly ubiquitous in Switzerland. This fusion of technology and research sparked a creative awakening, inspiring him to craft posters in the iconic Swiss style.

His first experience at a pedestrian crossing on the day of his arrival left him chuckling at his own naivety. This unexpected courtesy—a vehicle stopping in its tracks, waiting for him to cross, even before he reached the designated spot—left his mind reeling as he sought to grasp this unspoken rule of this strange world.

Then it dawned on him: human life was currency here, valued and protected above all else. In a moment of epiphany, he realised that the road signalisation system is a universal language, a secret code that transcended borders and tongues. In this fleeting moment, he felt the thrill of being part of a global tribe, bound together by a shared reverence for life.

As Eyimiegha familiarised himself with this environment, he discovered that the institutions were always willing to help with information he needed. Oftentimes, he marvelled at how quickly they responded to his emails.

But it wasn’t just the formalities that left him enchanted. Beyond the formalities, he discovered the unique delights of Swiss cheese, which beckoned him to indulge in a world of its flavours. As he explored further, he savoured the cuisines of Europe’s diverse cultural landscape. Then, there was this delicious pizza—his guilty pleasure—whose name he lost in the haze of pleasure. Yet, despite the thrill of these discoveries, his taste buds remained rooted in the familiar flavours of home cooking—the local Nigerian dishes he lovingly prepared in his kitchen.

Ultimately, he was enthralled by Geneva, which he discovered was a melting pot of cultures of diverse nationalities. This diversity was reflected not only in its people but also in the city’s zealously-scrubbed streets, which were, for him, a masterclass in urban harmony. Moreover, the Swiss government’s zeal for order was indeed palpable—a deliberate crusade against the visual and auditory pollutants that plagued other cities. In this rarefied atmosphere, safety wasn’t just a feeling but a tangible presence, a warm embrace that enveloped all who wandered these pristine streets.

Eventually, Eyimiegha’s residency culminated in a self-curated art exhibition, a last-minute addition that proved to be a high-wattage idea. This unexpected turn of events led to Prototype, an exhibition that lifted a corner of the veil on the artist’s work in progress.

At the exhibition’s venue, Ressources Urbanies, Carouge, he unveiled his experimental creations, including the showstopper “Mr Danfo en Suisse,” an unfinished masterpiece that catalogued his Swiss experiences. This piece, initially conceived as a map-reading experience, evolved into an eloquent commentary on the human tendency to overlook life’s mundane moments. The audience was entranced, poring over the archives and sculptures that whispered secrets of the artist’s inner world. Moreover, one site-specific installation, “The Reflective Mirror,” pushed the boundaries of viewer engagement, featuring a simple yet effective tape marking on the floor that commanded respect and hinted at how the public responds to subtle suggestions.

Meanwhile, the artist’s trajectory so far has been likened to a masterfully crafted domino effect—each project expertly toppling into the next, leaving a trail of creative genius in its wake. Building on this momentum, his forthcoming endeavour is poised to further assert his visibility in the Lagos exhibition. Furthermore, his previous international forays, including a stint at Mexico’s Museo de Ciudad de Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, have also burnished his career.