60th Venice Biennale: Nigeria Pavilion Sparks Global Interest in West African Arts

Yinka Olatunbosun

Call it the cynosure of all eyes, the opening of the Nigeria Pavilion at the prestigious 60th International Venice Biennale attracted over 50,000 visitors alongside favourable reviews in international media resulting in an upsurge of interest. Titled Nigeria Imaginary, the Nigeria Pavilion has attracted immense attention from art connoisseurs, curators, and critics alike, cementing Nigeria’s position as a burgeoning creative powerhouse. A famed art critic, Siddhartha Mitter captured the sight in New York Times describing it as “one of the most ambitious African presentations ever at the Venice Biennale.”

Commissioned by His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Arts and Culture represented by the esteemed Honourable Minister for Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, the pavilion was a showcase of exceptional craftsmanship by art masters.
Organised by the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA), the pavilion was not only an exhibition of remarkable contemporary art but also a showcase of MOWAA’s vision and curatorial expertise. The success of this exhibition highlights the growing international interest in Nigerian creativity and West African modern art.
Over the course of the past six months, notable Nigerians stopped by to visit the Pavilion. One of them was the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka. While reflecting on the experience, he remarked:
“What I’ve seen today, for me, has been most fulfilling. It’s replete on its own. It’s both artistic, historic, evocative. It goes from lyrical, the lyrical, to the, how do you say, the contrasting, kind of statuesque aspect of our society.”
In the same vein, the Honourable Minister Hannatu Musa Musawa said: “We are committed to working with private sector institutions and foundations such as MOWAA and we see the Nigeria Imaginary as a shining example of what can be achieved with partnerships. We see this as the beginning of a long-term collaboration with MOWAA and look forward to more successes.”
The pavilion featured works by an intergenerational group of eight Nigerian and Nigerian diasporic artists, curated by MOWAA’s Aindrea Emelife. Artists included Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Ndidi Dike, Onyeka Igwe, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Abraham Oghobase, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Fatimah Tuggar, and Precious Okoyomon, whose works explore complex narratives of history, identity, and the future.
The success of the pavilion is evident in the breadth and depth of positive international media coverage from the opening. The Pavilion has been featured extensively in print and online media, including prominent articles in major daily newspapers: The Financial Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post via The Associated Press, Le Monde, The Evening Standard, and The Times UK, among others; leading art and architecture trades, including: Artforum, The Art Newspaper, ARTnews, ArtReview, and Frieze; high-impact lifestyle outlets: Hemispheres and Vogue; and major wires and broadcast outlets, such as: The BBC and The Associated Press, including pick-up on NBC News.

The exhibition’s excellence secured it coveted inclusion in roundups of the best Pavilions at the Biennale, including in: Art in America, ARTnews, The Evening Standard, Forbes, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, The New York Times: T Magazine, and W Magazine, among others.

Following the Biennale, MOWAA is preparing to bring the Nigeria Imaginary home to show at the MOWAA campus in Edo State, Nigeria.
“Our goal is to ensure that the exhibition not only continues to shine at the Biennale but thrives when it returns to Nigeria.” shared Aindrea Emelife.

The Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) was formed in 2020 as an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of heritage, the expansion of knowledge, and the celebration of West African arts and culture.

Through ongoing partnerships, MOWAA offers programmes and resources that foster deeper connections between contemporary art and culture and the rich heritage of West Africa while creating a center of excellence for African and diaspora artists and scholars.

MOWAA’s 15-acre Creative Campus in the historic heart of Benin City will comprise multiple buildings and public spaces for display, performance, interaction, and commerce, designed through the collaboration of local and international architects.

Complementing MOWAA Institute, campus facilities will include the Rainforest Gallery, an exhibition building for contemporary art nestled in a replanted rainforest; the Art Guesthouse, providing accommodation for visiting researchers, academics, artists, and tourists; and the Artisans Hall, a reimagination of the ancient Kingdom of Benin’s architecture, serving as a curated retail space for today’s artisans to showcase a living and thriving culture.