Following the successful third iteration of traveling exhibition Dig Where You Stand: From Coast to Coast in Portugal, the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), a non-profit organization and art space based in Lagos, Nigeria, announces its upcoming edition in Benin. Taking place at the Fondation Zinsou Musée, Ouidah, and Les Ateliers Coffi, Cotonou, from September 27 – December 1, 2024, the programming will feature roundtables, workshops and exhibitions focusing on how art can aid in the understanding the collective self. Curated by photographer Delali Ayivi with curatorial advisory from AAF founder Azu Nwagbogu, the exhibitions will showcase over 50 artworks including paintings, photographic works, and installations, by 22 returning and new participating artists.

Oroko Radio Installation

The preservation of knowledge, history and folklore through oral storytelling forms a long tradition across the continent of Africa. The forces of colonialism have fractured this tradition, initially delegitimizing the tradition as an accurate source of information, and subsequently overlooking the continent as a region of importance when archiving the chronicles of our world. More individualistic mentalities driven by capitalism have moved us away from the community centric ideals that are so crucial to this tradition. Much of the history that forms the threads in the rich tapestry of our history have been frayed, with many stories from pre-colonial eras lost forever.

Oroko Radio enlisted three community members from three different countries to record a conversation with elders in their communities, reflecting on the role of music and community in their lives. Further members of the Oroko Radio community remixed these conversations into soundscapes, imbuing their artistic interpretation of the subject matter, and providing their input in a way that honours Oroko Radio’s namesake - Àrokò, a West African pre-colonial non-verbal form of communication. 

With this soundscape installation, Oroko Radio aims to reclaim the oral tradition - the connection of community, the exchange of knowledge and the empowerment of people through sound. To complement the exhibition visually, Oroko Radio enlisted more members of their global community, sourcing photographs showcasing the community’s families and ancestors. The exercise aimed to provide our community a moment to remember those before us, as well as connect with other family members to source the materials Thank you so much to the entire African Artists'​ Foundation/Lagos Photo for your trust in this project, as well as to the Oroko Radio community members who contributed to this installation: EGWÚ RECORDS Yinka Onaduja Seny Dieye (Djaouli Ent) Myriam Konté Rachel Oliveira Vieira Kikelomo Oludemi Jinan Vyent Elinam Etchi TMSKDJ / Deborah Jones Nkansah Julianne Chua

Participating Artists in Exhibition:

Bayeté Ross Smith, Bruno et Brice ZOUNTOUNNOU, Caleb Kwarteng Prah, Charbel Coffi, Dineo Seshee Bopape Dodji Efoui, Enar de Dios Rodríguez, Enrique Ramírez, Joana Choumali, Kapwani Kiwanga, Kwami Da Costa, Louis Oke-Agbo, MAR+VIN, Natalia Lassalle-Morillo, Nedia Were, DJ Orlando, Oroko Radio, Robin Riskin, Renzo Martens and CATPC, Roméo Mivekannin, Silvia Rosi, Victor Ehikhamenor and Zanele Muholi.

About AAF: 

African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) founded in 2007, Lagos, Nigeria, is a decentralized, multivalent, metamorphic art space that embraces community values, experimental artistic principles in supporting boundary-breaking and artistic ideas. Over the years, AAF has evolved beyond the limiting shell of a non-profit, to embody an art space that is responsive, attuned to social justice issues, ecology, freedom, community initiatives by empowering creative expression.

AAF is dedicated to fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of contemporary art, design, and culture through residencies, workshops, innovative exhibitions, and educational programs. We aim to further challenge and inspire our community, unearth and develop more talents while also promoting inclusiveness. Our goal is to be a dynamic and interactive space that sparks meaningful dialogue and encourages critical thinking, celebrates community programs and ultimately to become a change-maker through the power of art.