Encounter with the Pillars Behind +234 Art Fair

Yinka Olatunbosun

From the photo-ops to the thought-filled moments in front of the works on display, the pulsating energy at the venue of the biggest art show of the season was infectious. Even the banking hall felt it; many customers were torn between the inviting view and their business of the day.

Following the tremendous success of its augural edition, Soto Gallery in partnership with Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and main sponsor, Craneburg Construction Company held the Lagos audience totally captivated in the just concluded three-day art fair.

An ethereal view awaited the visitors- about 10,000 in total- who made it to the exhibition stand at Ecobank Pan-African Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. When the second edition of the prestigious +234 Art Fair took off, guests casually walked past some of the phenomenal people who made the dream event become a reality- now made a part of history.

Clad in an understated black dress, the founder, +234 Art Fair, Tola Akerele walked in accompanied by a handful of resource persons just in time for a talk session. With a good pair of eyes for design, Akerele didn’t surprise those who are familiar with her taste for boho chic decor. The venue had a handful of live plants as a part of the welcome party for visitors.

With the theme “Championing Patronage,” this edition drew upon the wealth of experience of industry experts, especially long-standing collectors. Akerele, who had been a patron of the arts for several decades revealed that buying art is just one of the ways to be a patron of the art.

“There’s so many other things we can do for the artists. We can give them space to work and give them mentorship. We can help them with their finances when they make it. You know, there’s so many ways to support them. We’re looking at all those ideas and because we have so many amazing artists in Nigeria, we really want to encourage them and know that there is a system or community around that can really support what they’re doing.”

Akerele revealed that anyone can be a patron of the arts, not just known collectors. She said it usually starts from a good-natured gesture such as supporting an artist-friend at school till the works get to mainstream exhibitions.

“In addition to the fair this year, we have a patrons’ lounge,” she added. The children’s gallery which is one of the most visited section of the fair. A minimum of six schools visit per day with many children involved in painting sessions. The fair gave the young creative minds the much needed boost to embrace art as a means of self-expression.

With over 100 artists selected from a pool of 1000 applicants for a six-week open call, the range of works was massive and impressive. Whilst reflecting on the quality of works at the fair this year, Akerele reinforced the value of art residencies as one of the ways in which artists can retool and upskill.

On her part, Ms. Omoboye Odu, the Head SME Partnership and Collaboration at Ecobank explained how the significance of the bank’s effort towards building capacity in advancing entrepreneurship.

“Ecobank is a deliberate solution to solve the financial inclusion problem of Africans, but we have come to realise that the problem is solved by creating a platform where SMEs can evolve from local players to global players. They can take their space and claim from fame in global scene. We do this by working with a mural of SMEs and businesses across various sectors. One of the strongest sectors we’ve identified is the creative sector. We’ve seen the success of Afro vibes, Afrobeats, of Nollywood, and now the art space. The art market, is estimated over $70 billion with North America having the largest stake in that market. How can African art being the talent that we see, and the creating themselves innovation that we see evolved to take the place of North America. That’s where Ecobank comes in.”