LAGOS PHOTO

"Makoko by Themselves"

2012-02-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is to inform you all that there will be an exhibition tomorrow at the AAF HQ, tagged "Makoko by Themselves"... The exhibition will showcase the lives of 20 Children from Makoko through their photo works assisted by Christofer Hery (a French photographer)

Date: Thursday 23rd February, 2012
Venue: AAF HQ 54 Raymond Njoku Street, off Awolowo Road Ikoyi
Time: 4pm- 8pm
It's free for all! Come one come all!

Pictures of the Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition Grand Finale

2012-02-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

The Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition Grand Finale, sponsored by Etisalat, was held last weekend, Saturday 4th February, 2012 at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. In attendance were people from all works of life, young, old, and even infants were not left out. To get a feel of what went down on that day, you can check out the pictures on the African Artists' Foundation Facebook page . Also remember to share the photos as you do so. We look forward to having more events. Watch this space

Announcing the WINNER(s) of the Etisalat/Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition

2012-01-26T01:33:00.000-08:00

The Amateur photography competition was organized last year (during the Lagos Photo Festival) to engage and develop amateur Nigerian photographers. Under the theme, “This is Lagos”, the competition opened on the 10th of October 2011. Interested photographers were asked to send in their entries up till the 10th of November, 2011. It was open to all amateur photographers, across all ages, working and living in Lagos. Over 170 entries were received in total and reviewed by an experienced jury panel for shortlisting. From the lot, the panel of judges shortlisted 25 finalists (names below). At last, we get to crown the winner of the competition with the emerging winners walking away with the following;

First Prize- N100,00 (with work published in ZAM Magazine) and Galaxy Tab

Second Prize- N75,000 and a blackberry phone

Third Prize- N50,000 and an Etisalat Gaga phone

Join us as we announce the winner(s)...
Date: Saturday 4th February, 2012
Time: 3pm
Venue: The Civic Center, V/I, Lagos.

See you all there!

Top 25 finalists

1.    Adeyemi Christopher Adewusi
2.    Akinlabi Akinbulumo
3.    Ariyo Adeyemi
4.    Austin Azoganokhai
5.    Awobokun Olufemi
6.    Yacoub Adeleke
7.    Bayo Omoboriowo
8.    Damilare Oguntade
9.    Ife Odedere
10. Isi Etomi
11. Ibeleme Aham
12. Jibola Lawal
13. Margherita Trestini
14. Jide Odukoya
15. Jumoke Sanwo
16. Leke Kalejaiye
17. Omolara Aluko
18. Oyebola Adedapo
19. Rolake Job
20. Tolu Talabi
21. Tope Akinmade
22. Tosin Bukola
23. Wole Ajao
24. Tunji Nelson
25. Inumidun Bakare

Watch OUT!

2012-01-18T04:33:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all and most especially to all Nigerians. We hope you all stayed safe during the nationwide strike that lasted almost a week. Now that the strike has been called off and we all can get back to our daily activities, we urge our friends and followers to keep tabs on us on the African Artists' Foundation Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @LagosPhoto_AAF for upcoming events that will get us all to share knowledge and have fun.
Be Inspired!

Stanley Green's in town!!!

2012-01-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

Everything's put in place for Stanley Greene's workshop which kicks off tomorrow from 11am at the African Artists' Foundation headquarters (54 Raymond Njoku Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi)...
Activities include; Portfolio reviews, movie screenings, lots of learning and sharing...You don't want to miss it!
RSVP now by sending an email to tunde.a@africanartists.org

*L-R: AAF Founder Azu Nwagbogu, Stanley Greene

Stanley Greene "Workshop"

2012-01-02T08:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all our dear friends, partners and lovers of art in general! May this new year bring good tidings for us all!
Please remember to mark your calendar as Stanley Greene's workshop comes up on the 7th and 8th of January, 2012. Photographers should RSVP if they are interested by sending their details to tunde.a@africanartists.org. There will be a presentation/ Q&A session on Monday, 9th January, 2012 by 5pm at the AAF Headquarters, 54 Raymond Njoku Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. It is open to everyone and the general public is invited. See you all there!

Crowning The winner of the 4th Nigerian Breweries/African Artists’ Foundation National Arts Competition

2011-12-13T04:35:00.000-08:00

The 4^th edition of the annual of the Nigerian Breweries/African Artists’ Foundation National Arts Competition has reached the final stage of announcing which

top 3 out of the 12 finalists will walk away with the cash prizes set aside for this year’s competition. This announcement will be made on the 15^th of December, 2011 at the Civic Centre.

The theme for this year’s competition “Documenting changes in our Nation” was chosen to focus on the process of art creation as opposed to just focusing on the end product. In this edition, the 12 finalists were whisked away to a resort in Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria, for a 14day workshop (from the 14^th – 28^th November) which also gave them time to relax as they focused on creating their various pieces. The serene and healthy environment gave the artists inspiration to add or subtract from their works to make sure they had well finished products worthy of the grand prize.

It was not an easy task to pick the 12 finalists who are vying for the grand prize; Babson Ajibade, Chris Echeta, Gerald Chukwuma, Erasmus Onyishi, Folashade Ogunlade, Jude Anogwih, Chidinma Nnorom, Chidinma Nnorom, Samuel Palmtree Ifeanyichukwu, Olayinka Sangotoye, Taiye Idahor, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Uche Uzorka and Chike Obeagu (working together as one). The AAF selection committee had to assess about 270 entries received from different artistic genres including photography, painting, sculpture, mixed media, installation and video art. The cash prizes to be won are as follows: 3^rd prize – N1,000, 000.00, 2^nd prize – N1, 500, 000.00 and the 1^st prize – N2, 000, 000.00

You're hereby cordially invited to the grand finale/ announcement of winners:

Date: 15^th of December, 2011

Venue: Civic Center, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos

Time: 4:00pm

TOP 25 Finalists of Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition

2011-11-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

And here they are! The list of the Top 25 finalists (in no particular order) of the Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition. Congratulations to those who made it this far and we say thumbs up to all who participated. Date for the press conference and grand finale to be announced soon! Keep tabs on us here, on our Facebook page and also on Twitter to get updates.
Be Inspired!

1.    Adeyemi Christopher Adewusi
2.    Akinlabi Akinbulumo
3.    Ariyo Adeyemi
4.    Austin Azoganokhai
5.    Awobokun Olufemi
6.    Yacoub Adeleke
7.    Bayo Omoboriowo
8.    Damilare Oguntade
9.    Ife Odedere
10. Isi Etomi
11. Ibeleme Aham
12. Jibola Lawal
13. Margherita Trestini
14. Jide Odukoya
15. Jumoke Sanwo
16. Leke Kalejaiye
17. Omolara Aluko
18. Oyebola Adedapo
19. Rolake Job
20. Tolu Talabi
21. Tope Akinmade
22. Tosin Bukola
23. Wole Ajao
24. Tunji Nelson
25. Inumidun Bakare

Lagos Photo Amamteur Photography Competition Finalists

2011-11-17T03:21:00.000-08:00

The Lagos Photo Amateur Competition drew in quite a number of photo entries. The competition was open from the 8th of OCTOBER 2011 and closed on the 10th of NOVEMBER. The works were looked at and judged by a panel of judges. In the end, 25 finalists and their works were selected. These 25 finalists will be announced on the Lagos Photo Amateur Competition Press Conference which will hold next week. Keep tabs on our blog, Facebook page and on Twitter for the date of the press conference.

Prizes to be won

First Prize - N100,00 (with work published in ZAM Magazine)

Second Prize- N75,000

Third Prize- N50,000
Be Inspired!

2011-10-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Reminder!!!!
Amateur Photography Competition submission deadline 10th November, 2011
"This is Lagos"

Kindly forward your submissions to Tunde at
Tunde.a@africanartists.org

Photo By: Jide Odukoya

2011-10-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

Attention!

LagosPhoto Fashion Photography Exhibition previously scheduled for October 30th has been postponed till further notice.

Many Thanks To Etisalat And All Whom Attended The LagosPhoto Photo-Walk!

2011-10-26T03:01:00.000-07:00

For those of you who participated please make a selection of 5-10 photos to submit illustrating the theme "Lazy Lagos" and email them to medina.d@africanartists.org.

Stay tuned for workshop dates where we will all meet to review and critique the selections.

Workshop Update

2011-10-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

Attention, Attention!!! LagosPhoto Workshop UPDATE: Kelechi Amadi-Obi to lead workshop on fashion photography tomorrow, Thursday 20th October at 1 o'clock in the Crystal Suites Eko Hotel VI. You may bring your portfolios for review. Look forward to seeing you there!

LagosPhoto Party in the Park

2011-10-18T07:07:00.000-07:00

In October 2011, the Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Lagos is all about photography. 150 large printed photo's of 41 internationally acclaimed photographer were exhibited in the open air. This year’s LagosPhoto theme: “What’s Next Africa? -The Hidden Stories” aims to use the power of photography to represent the hidden stories on the continent as opposed to the over represented, sensationalised, dramatic images on Africa popular across the globe.

Other outdoor exhibitions, besides the Muri Okunola park:
- Falomo underpas,s Ikoyi,
- MKO Abiola park Ketu, Ikeja,
- Professor Ayodele Awojobi Park,
- University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.

Don't miss it.

Here's an impression of the Party in the Park in photo's.

LagosPhoto Workshop Update

2011-10-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

Additional details regarding this week's LagosPhoto workshop to be announced tomorrow.

Lagos Photo PhotoWalk 2011

2011-10-18T04:18:00.000-07:00

Calling on all amateur and professional photographers!
The ongoing Lagos Photo Festival has been a success from the onset of the grand opening, workshops and lately, the party in the park. Next on the program is the PhotoWalk this weekend.
The PhotoWalk will hold on Sunday, 23rd of October, 2011...take off point from African Artists Foundation HQ, 54 Raymond Njoku Street, off Awolowo Road Ikoyi, Lagos and take off time is 11:00am.
Please note; Space is limited to admit only 30 photographers.
If you are interested, send your contact details before Thursday to jadeg_b@yahoo.com

2011-10-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Please note Friday (today's) workshop has been rescheduled for next week!

Be sure to come to the LagosPhoto Party in the Park this Sat + Sun, Muri Okunola Park.
Musical concert by General Pype, Shank, Somimusic, Sha, Mtrill, Tarri and many more. Free give-aways and the chance to win the latest ipad & a weekend break to Le Meridien Ibom!

LagosPhoto Festival Workshop Schedule

2011-10-11T04:21:00.001-07:00

This is the schedule for the ongoing Lagos Photo Festival Portfolio Reviews and Workshops for professional and amateur photographers holding at the Emerald suites in EKO HOTEL. Please take note of the dates and times so you won't miss a thing!

Monday 10th, October ~ 11:00am - 5:00pm Portfolio Reviews

Tuesday 11th, October ~ 11:00am - 5:00pm Portfolio Reviews

Wednesday 12th, October ~ 11:00am Discussion by: Carlos Cazaliz

"Mega Cities"

4:00pm Discussion by Alfredo D'Amato

"Getting access in places to shoot a photo essay"

Thursday 13th, October ~ 11:00am Workshop/Discussion by: Peter Dicampo

"Media Images of Africa"

4:00pm Discussion by: Joseph Penney

"Race in African Photography"

Friday 14th, October ~ 4:00pm Workshop/Discussion by: Chantal & Judith

1. Workshop 'Slow Journalism' or

2. Workshop 'Poetic Journalism'

Arthur Kisitu: My grandfather's history

2011-10-11T04:15:00.000-07:00

Ugandan photographer and designer Arthur Kisitu has his own studio in Kampala. It is a place of creativity, innovative designs and a place where people meet. He is fascinated by lighting. His presence in Lagos is connected to the work of Dutch photographer Andrea Stultiens, whom he met in Kampala. She wanted to document Ugandan history. Arthur told her about his grandfather who had build his own personal very visual archive. This became the basis of 'The Kaddu Wassa Archive’, which is a wonderful visual biography of Kaddu Wasswa, and in a sense a biography of common people in Uganda over the last 40 years. Wasswa - Arthur's grandfather - is a man who played an important role in his community as a teacher and social worker. The archive now travels the world. At the moment, Arthur works, among others, in slums in Kampala together with local residents on photography projects.

Alfredo D'amato: Pushing limits in Angola

2011-10-11T04:07:00.000-07:00

Alfredo D'amato resides in Italy. His work at the LagosPhoto festival is part of a series about Luanda, Angola. The Luanda series is part of a series he made about ex-Portugese colonies. "Angola to me, was super intense. It made me realize I had capacities I never knew I had. Luanda is a city originally built for five hundred thousand citizens and nowadays it is home to five million people. There is a lot of pollution, I got sick, it is the most expensive city in the world, the divide between rich and poor is extreme, there is hardly any electricity and people were aggressive towards the camera. Man, it was extreme in almost every way. But to be honest, I like to be pushed to the extreme. Because also on the same hand, the music is wonderful and you see people working hard to survice. It was a great experience.'

Lagos Photo festival : Party in the Park

2011-10-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Party in the Park!Fun Fun Fun!!!
The saying goes, "all work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl!" What other way can one unwind and relieve stress of the week than to appreciate the serenity of the environment with family and friends? This weekend, one of the many events on our list "Party in the Park" will hold! This is the event is expected to have over 1,500 guests in attendance. The outdoor event will have lots of attractions which include; Live music concert, Photography maze, Food Affair, Kids play corner, Cooking demonstrations, Wine tasting, and the big one, a Raffle Draw and lots more giveaways (iPad, Blackberry, weekend break for 2 at Le Meridien Ibom Resort).
The concert schedule:
Saturday 15th October: General Pype | Shank  | Benny P | M'Trill | Lil'M (to perform live)
Sunday 16th October: Jazz musician Somi  | Tarri  | Sha (to perform live)

Venue: Muri Okunola Park, V/I
Time: 12noon - 6:00pm
Ticket pricing:
N3000 - Standard entry to event
N5000 - VIP entry to event, food sampling, entry to prize draw
N11,000 - Standard entry for family of 4 to event
N15,000 - Silver entry for family of 4 event, food sampling, entry to prize draw
N10,000 - VVIP , food sampling, entry to prize draw, VIP sponsored tent, goody bags.

Get your tickets at the following addresses:
*  Bogobiri House, 9 Maitama Sule (Off Awolowo Rd)
*  African Artists’ Foundation 54 Raymond Njoku St (Off Awolowo Rd)
*  DealDey.com, UTC 37 Awolowo Rd
*  TerraKulture on Tiamiyu Savage
*  Quintessence (Awolowo Rd)

Don't miss this great time to chill with family, friends, staff/crew of Lagos Photo Festival and of course the 41 LP photographers! Come one, come all as we reclaim public spaces
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Portfolio review

2011-10-10T10:12:00.001-07:00

On monday all participating photographers came together to review the works of other photographers. It was very inspiring to everybody. Some amazing talents like Barbara Minishi, D'Mayo, Martin Kharumwa and among others, showed their work. There were interesting discussions about framing, killing your darlings, lighting, but also on identity, social issues and who you want to be as an artist. Obviously there also was a lot of discussions among the professional photographers about what was interesting and what was not. Put three photographers together and it is quite likely they disagree after 5 minutes :). That said, the general atmosphere was very optimistic and people were truly inspiring and helping each other.

Emeka Ebeniro: Closer to Lagos

2011-10-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

Emeka Ebeniro is a young photographer from Nigeria. Besides working in an advertising agency, he loves his work as a documentary photographer, especially in Lagos. His series is about an enormous fire in Lagos. 30 houses got burned and luckily nobody died. The houses were made of wood. The work got the attention of the African Artist' Foundation. Last year he participated in workshops as a course and he took the bold step to dedicate his time more to documentary photography. "I am very proud my work got selected. I am learning a lot here. The work of the other photographers is inspiring. I want to invest more in my documentary work. There is still so much to do.'

Peter DiCampo: Life without Lights

2011-10-10T01:30:00.001-07:00

The work of Peter DiCampo is situated in a dark corner of the exhibition. The work shows photo's of people living in the dark. Visitors need lights to see the photo's. The photo's are part of a enormous project called Life Without Lights, where Peter examines energy poverty, the causes and the solutions in many different countries

'It is wonderful to be here. I have had many conversations about the photo's with visitor. And I think that looking at the photo's using the lights gives it a new dimension, it is a great effect. People told me that they now had the feeling of being me, the photographer taking the photo's. People also told me they didn't realize that there are so many people living without electricity and that the impact is so big. In general it is great to be here and interact with the audience and the other photographers.'

Portfolio Reviews, Workshops and Discussions

2011-10-09T22:13:00.000-07:00

Now the the Lagos Photo Festival is in full drive, it's on the next one on our program and that is Portfolio Reviews, Workshops and Discussions with the best of the best. If you are an aspiring artist or a pro in the art, here's a chance to share ideas and thoughts.
Date: 10-14 Ocotber
Venue: Eko Hotel and Suites (Emerald Suites)
Time: 11am... (check program guide for other times)

See you there!

High Spirits at the Grand Opening of LagosPhoto Festival 2011

2011-10-09T06:51:00.001-07:00

With most photographers present and under enormous attention of the Lagos public, the second LagosPhoto Festival kicked off at the Eko Hotels and Suites on Saturday October 8th.

You find an impression of the opening here

The event attracted a lot attention from the media. Here is an impression.

Glenna Gordon: Elderly in Freetown

2011-10-09T06:50:00.000-07:00

Photographer Glenna Gordon splits her time between West-Africa and New York. At the LagosPhoto Festival, her work about the elderly in the Eastern part of Freetown, Sierra Leone is shown.
'I think a lot of photo stories from Africa are very positive or negative. Reality is never like that. I tried to capture a range of moments and emotions while I spent time in the elderly homes. Both sad, happy, proud, curious or intimate. Normal emotions. You see, most of the elderly living there are lonely. Their children often died during the civil war and in Liberia, your children take care of you when you are old. In a way they are opposites of orphans. But it isn' all sad. The elderly are keepers of culture, they have stories about the time before the war, they are the people who remember.I tried to captured all these nuances.'

Grand Opening Countdown

2011-10-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

Just a few hours to go and LagosPhoto festival will open it's doors and you can see the wok of 41 photographers from all over the world. Please check out this blog for continuous updates and short interviews with some of the photographers.

Interview with creative director Marc Prüst here.

Photo's of the work in progress here

Tom Saater: Abuja from the sky

2011-10-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Tom Saater is a young photograher based in Abuja, Nigeria. ‘I am very excited to be here. The African Artis’ Foundation had a call for photographers to send in their work. The best ones are selected and offered space in the Festival. And now here I am.’
The work Tom shows is made during the fiftieth anniversary of Nigeria. This gave him the opportunity to travel in a balloon and documented what was happening. ‘We do not have many balloons in Nigeria, so it was pretty exciting. It does give a new perspective I believe. You can fly incredibly low and very quietly.’
Tom is a documentary photographer interested in social issues. Clients vary from local newspapers to Africa Report, USAid and Time Out. At the moment he is working on a series about the French Cultural Centre. He is also part of the Invisible Boarders project which gives him the opportunity to travel with a group of Nigerian, Sudanese and Ethiopian photographers from Nigeria to Ethiopia.

Chantal Heijnen: Unknown but autonomous Somaliland

2011-10-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Very few people have heard of Somaliland. Officially still part of Somalia, Somaliland declared itself an independent democratic republic on May 18, 1991, and has been building its nation ever since.
Photographer Chantal Heijenen travelled the region and documented the Somaliland people who are building the democratic institutions.
Chantal Heijnen: ‘The great thing is that Somaliland is relatively stable and quiet. There is a lack of all kinds of things, but it moves slowly forward, ironically without any significant help from the outside world. The UN for instance has not officially recognized Somaliland, so there is no help from their part. I made a series of the people who are in gouvernement, justice, police or eductation. The ones that are building the country.

What was very nice, was that the Somaliland newspaper ‘Jamhuuriya’ published my photographs twice a week from December 10 – February 21, 2011. A total of 20 publications that symbolizes the 20th anniversary of Somaliland. I have the original copies of these newspapers and they are used for a book. The newspapers are here during this event as well.’

Nana Kofi Acquah: Water no get enemy

2011-10-08T06:25:00.001-07:00

Nana Kofi Acquah is a photographer from Ghana. His work varies from documentary work to fashion shows and advertising. Besides that he writes poetry on his blog. In November his work of ‘slaughter boys’ in a slum area in Accra will be shown in the Bamako Photo Biennale.
For Lagos Photo, he is showing his work, “water no get enemy”-on postcards. ‘I decided to show beautiful postcard-like images here, all related to water. When you think of water, you already start thinking about polluted water or scarcity. That is all true, but I wanted to show beautiful, lovely photo of water because they may not stay that beautiful for too long. We are losing our water bodies. Water is like postcards, they are both dying. I have photos of pollution and so, in black and white. I did not want to show that, many people have already seen that. So it all looks nice, but you know that something else is happening too.’

Giulia Marchi: China in Benin

2011-10-08T04:37:00.000-07:00

Photographer Giulia Marchi studied Chinese. She was raised in a classical manner, studying greek and latin, but what really fascinated her were people living in other cultures and speaking completely other languages. So she lived in Benin, looking after Chinese people, to tell their stories. Some of the work is being published in an Italian newspaper. ‘It is not too easy to find them and get access to the Chinese community. It takes a lot of time. And then it differs if they are open or not. I spoke with a 32 year ol CEO of a company who told me he was lonely at times and that he had nobody to talk to. He liked the Benin people, but it was also hard for him to communicate. I also met a Chinese woman who married a man from Benin, they had 2 daughters and she really wanted to tell her story.'

Misa Irodia: Work in progress

2011-10-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

Misa Irodia is born in Madagascar and lives in Senegal. It is his first exhibition. Besides being a photographer he also works for the Madagascar government. ‘The photography is the artistic part in me. I am happy to be here, I see it as a first major step.' The work he is exposing is called ‘Men at work: Work in Progress, Work for progress.’ He took his pictures close to his work, being fascinated by the enormous number of people working in construction. ‘The speed of development is enormous. But on the same hand, when electricity goes off, which happens a lot in Dakar, sometimes 8 or 12 hours, the country seems to come to a stand still. Very strange to see. Electricity is a common thing you would think.’

Joe Penney: What is true?

2011-10-07T16:54:00.000-07:00

Joe Penney is a photographer from New York. In spring 2011 he covered the elections for Reuters and spent three months in Nigeria. Besides trying to give a reflection of what happened during election time, he worked on personal projects as well. Some of this work is featured at the LagosPhoto festival.

What is your series about?
'It is about the difference of what I see and what Nigerians see. It is about what people want to show and what they are hiding. And how this can be different from person to person and from culture to culture. It is also about myself, traveling in a country that is at times shockingly poor and very difficult to understand.
I made portraits of woman dressing up and going to church. They live in Lagos and live a harsh life. They do their utmost best of showing themselves in pictures in a nice way. Therefore they pay people to photoshop the images and for instance remove the background or the house where they live and replace it by images they like: a chique hotel or a blurred background.
I as a western photographer would never do that, I want to show their reality. But what if they prefer a photoshopped reality. Does that make it less real? I want to show what I perceive to be their reality.'

All hands on deck for Lagos Photo Festival

2011-10-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

Teamwork is essential to the growth and success of any organization, company and of course projects. At LagosPhoto, our watchword is "teamwork" and the product of this you the public will judge when at the Grand opening this Saturday 8th, 2011, and throughout the month long event. Curious to see our work in progress?

Here's what we are doing in pictures on our Flickr account.

Take a sneak peek at all the work that is going on to make this year's Lagos Photo Festival a huge success.

Time out with Caline Chagoury

2011-10-07T03:29:00.000-07:00

Eko Hotels and Suites is one of the main sponsors of the LagosPhoto festival. Already now for the second time in a row. We got time to have a one-on-one session with Caline Chagoury, Corporate Affairs Manager of Eko Hotelss and Suites. This is what she had to say;

"This festival is very important for us. Nigeria and Lagos are perceived in a particular way; a way that is not correct to reality as many Nigerians perceive it. Photography can change perceptions and this is how we contribute to that. Not that we don’t want any negative stories to be told. Not at all. It is just that there is so much more to tell than the war, corruption and hunger kind of stories. My favorite things about this exhibition is that there are so many different kinds of people coming together. People from all layers of society, people from many different countries. There is a lot of interaction. And it is not just the indoor exhibition. The photos are being showed in parks and public spaces and generate a lot of discussion. Photos can do that - they provoke, they move, they make you curious. I love all that. Lagos is really moving forward. It is an emerging place. Tell me that is not a good place and time to hold a photo festival"

New grounds for Nigerian photo festival ~ Interview with Marc Prüst

2011-10-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Dutchman Marc Prüst is the creative director of the Lagos Photo festival. Together with the African Artists’ foundation he selects the photographers and puts the final image selection together. The construction of the exhibition is his responsibility. ‘Photography as an art form has an enormous potential in Africa. This is what Marc had to say in a Q & A session about the Lagos Photo project...enjoy!

Q: What is the festival about?

A: "Lagos Photo festival is about surprising the visitor. Our main criteria is simple: quality. Our theme is ‘What’s next Africa, The Hidden Stories.’ We have selected 41 photographers from all over the world. Their work tells a story that is not often shown in the media. We want to surprise visitors with their stories."

Q: Why do people have to see the exhibition?

A: "During the festival you can enjoy wonderful stories told by photographers from all over the world. We have people like Mario Macilao, Nana Kofi Acquah, George Osodi, Jodi Bieber."

Q: What made you participate in this festival?

A: "Because it is great! Lagos Photo festival is a new festival with a bright future. There are so many ideas and possibilities waiting to be explored and to be set up. Lagos is a wild place and logistically it is pretty challenging. But hey, it is the only photo festival in the region. Many, many things are possible here."

Q: What is a good photo for you?

A: "When it comes to documentary photography: A good photo tells a good story. A striking, original, surprising, or moving story. It should be a photo that tells a story that upsets you, makes you angry or smile. And it is very hard to tell a good story. I mean, taking a photo is easy. Everybody has a camera, the technique seems simple, it is all is digital. So what most people do – even professionals – is taking photo’s like memories. But that is interesting for only a small group of people. It is like proof of an event you attended. But that is not what I mean with a good story. A good story is universal and relates to something you did not know or felt before."

Q: Lagos Photo features work of African and non African photographers. Is there a difference between the two groups?

A: "Yes. But first, all work that we present is made in Africa. So that is our starting point. We feature African stories. But we do not limit ourselves to African photographers. We have both. And yes, there is a visual culture in Africa, which differs from other continents. In Europe we have a visual culture that is influenced by images and art based on Christianity. As a result, we subconsciously, somehow appeal to images that refer to famous icons from art in the church. In Africa this is to a lesser extend the case. Focus lies on other things, which is not easily to describe what exactly. People from the Western world photographing in Africa have a different ‘eye’ than people who are at home in their continent. They see different things. It is like describing an elephant blindfolded. One is touching the trunk and the other the tale. When they describe what they are seeing, you get different descriptions. This some how also goes for the difference between Western and non-Western photographers when we are talking about documentary photography. They tell different stories and that is something I believe you can see during the festival. Very exciting to bring this together."

Q: How does photography relate to other art form in Africa?

A: "I think there is great photography here by African photographers. Really strong images. But some of it is less strong in terms of concept. The in-depth idea behind what people are trying to say can be richer at times. You can sense that there is not a very long photography tradition in Africa, it is a young art form. Other than art forms like writing and painting. But the need for good story telling through photography is enormous. The talent and potential of young photographers is wonderful. This will happen in the next years to come."

Q: What is next?

A: "I believe that the need for photography as an art form within Africa is big. The demand for African made images is huge, the artistic potential of the African photographers is huge and the untold stories waiting to be told are overwhelming, LagosPhoto can be the center of this kind of developments in the future and it is wonderful to be part of this movement."

Lagos Photo Amamteur Photography Competition

2011-10-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

Calling on all amateur photographers to this year's Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition. Do you have a camera? Do you have the passion? Do you have the skill? Here's your chance to take part in 2nd edition of the Lagos Photo Festival Amateur Photography Competition. Scroll down for more details...

How to Participate:

Theme: "This is Lagos"

Send in a body of work to aafetisalat@gmail.com Minimum of 3 images and maximum of 5 images. Failure to adhere to this will lead to immediate disqualification. Image formats are to be in JPEG and should be sent to the above email address or delivered in person to the

AAF Head Quarters: 54 Raymond Njoku road, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Prizes to be won

First Prize - N100,00 (with work published in ZAM Magazine)

Second Prize- N75,000

Third Prize- N50,000

NOTE: The competition will open 8th of OCTOBER 2011 and close on the 10th of NOVEMBER. Entries are to be submitted within this period.

Follow us on Twitter @LagosPhoto_AAF and join our Lagos Photo group on Facebook for more updates on the Lagos Photo Festival. Tell a friend to tell a friend!

CONTACTS

For additional information or those interested in attending workshops/seminars, call or message Medina Dugger medina.d@africanartists.org or Tinuke Olu atinuke.o@africanartists.org.

AAF HQ 54 Raymond Njoku Street, Ikoyi Lagos, Nigeria 01-745 0750 | +234 1 745 0750 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +234 1 745 0750 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Lagos Photo 2011 PROGRAM GUIDE

2011-10-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on to the grand opening of the Lagos Photo Festival, 2011 and as such, we would like to keep everyone in the know ALL the events that will hold during the festival. Below is the break down and guide to the events; this should enable you know the events' place and times so you won't miss out. Spread the word and let us make this year's Lagos Photo Festival a huge success.

PROGRAM GUIDE

LagosPhoto Grand Exhibition
~ 8 October

6:00pm Grand Opening Ceremony

Main Exhibition Hall, Escalator Entrance

Eko Hotel & Suites

~ 8 October | LagosPhoto Tribute Ocean View Room

9:30pm The late Tim Hetherington, Chris Hondros and Femi

Abolade (All of whom had worked in Nigeria) Ocean View

Room (Buses departing from Escalator Entrance)

Additional LagosPhoto Indoor Venues

Opening 8 October

*African Artists’ Foundation HQ

54 Raymond Njoku St (Off Awolowo Rd) Ikoyi, Lagos

*Wheatbaker Hotel

4 LawrenceRoad, Ikoyi, Lagos

Outdoor Venues

Falomo Roundabout, Muri Okunola Park, Freedom Park, MKO Abiola

Garden, Ojata, Prof Ayodele Awojobi Park, Yaba

~ 24 October-December

University of Lagos

Portfolio Reviews, Workshops & Discussions

Commence 10 October through 23 October

~ 10 to 11 October Portfolio Reviews

11:00am Emerald Suites, Eko Hotel
~ 12 to 14 October Workshops | Seminars | Discussions

11:00am Emerald Suites, Eko Hotel
4:00pm Emerald Suites, Eko Hotel

~ 17 to 23 October Workshops | Seminars | Discussions

Times to be determined

LagosPhoto “Party In The Park”
~15 &16 October

11:00am -6:00pm | Muri Okunola Park, Victoria Island Lagos

Outdoor Photo Exhibitions, Live Music, FoodAffair

Concert Schedule

Saturday: General Pype | Shank | Benny P | M’Trill | Lil’M

Sunday: Jazz musician Somi | Tarri | Sha

Attractions: Kids Play Corner, Photography Maze, Cooking Demonstrations, Artist Talks, Wine Tasting, Raffle Draw

**Giveaways: Pepsi iPad, Blackberry, weekend accommodations at Le Meridien Ibom Resort for 2**

NOTE: Parking Available @ King’s College, 1 -5, Adeyemo Alakija Street, VI

LagosPhoto Photowalk
~ 23 October

11:00am | Departing from African Artists Foundation HQ

Theme: “Lazy Lagos”

54 Raymond Njoku St. (Off Awolowo Rd) Ikoyi

LagosPhoto Screening of Media/Visual Art
~29 October
7:30pm City Hall Roof Top
Coordinated by Goethe Institut

LagosPhoto Fashion Photography Exhibition and Garden Soiree
~ 30 October

6:00pm | Champagne Reception Art/Fashion Show at Ocean View, Kuramo Waters, VI | Meet & Greet Cocktail Reception for Designers and Photographers

LagosPhoto Amateur Photography Competition

Theme: “This Is Lagos”

Kindly submit 3-5 photos to aafetisalat@gmail.com by 10 November

There you have it! No reason to miss out on this year's festival as we plan to "Reclaim Public Spaces!!!"

For more information or to become a “Friend of LagosPhoto”, follow us on Twitter @LagosPhoto_AAF, Like our Facebook page and kindly contact African Artists’ Foundation, 54 Raymond Njoku St

(Off Awolowo Rd) Ikoyi, Lagos. Tel: 01 745 0750

Don't Miss Out on the Activities!!!

2011-09-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

As we all know, the 2nd edition of the Lagos Photo Festival will kick off with a Grand Opening at the Eko Hotel Victoria Island on the 9th of October, 2011 with other events to follow through the month of October .
One of such event that will hold in the festival is the Party in the Park on the 15th and 16th of October at Muri Okunola Park. Preparations for the festival is well on its way and for this reason we at Lagos Photo in conjunction with Food Affair will give away tickets for the Party in the Park event to the public. How can you partake in this giveaway? Just follow us on Twitter @Lagos_AAF and Like our Facebook page to ensure you don't miss out on the freebies. Tell one, tell all!

Workshop Guidelines

2011-09-30T06:24:00.000-07:00

Workshops, portfolio reviews and discussions for the Lagos Photo Festival will commence October 10th and run through October 23rd. The workshops will be led by local and international professionals in the field such as Kelechi Amadi Obi, George Osodi, World Press Photo winner Akintunde Akinleye, Peter Dicampo, Reuters photographer Joseph Penney, Dutch professionals Judith Quax, Chantal Heijnen and many more. To be added to the mailing list for updates related to topics and scheduling, kindly forward your email and telephone information to: jadeg_b@yahoo.com.

Portfolio Reviews
October 10th-12th, 11am Emerald Suites, Eko Hotel

Workshops/Seminars/Discussions
October 11th-14th, 11am Emerald Suites, Eko Hotel
October 13th-14th, 4pm Emerald Suites, Eko Hotel

Workshops/Seminars/Discussions
October 17th-23 Times to be determined

2011-09-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

LagosPhoto 2011
African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) in collaboration with the European National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC) proudly present the 2nd edition of the LagosPhoto Festival, opening on Sunday 9th of October 2011 at the Eko hotel and Suites Convention center, Lagos.
Following on from the inaugural event launched in October 2010, and as part of an on-going project designed to use art intervention in public spaces, this year’s theme: “What’s Next Africa? -The Hidden Stories” aims to use the power of photography to represent the hidden stories on the continent as opposed to the over represented, sensationalized, dramatic images on Africa popular across the globe. It also aims to make visible important social issues as well as capture the essence of the continent from a holistic and organic perspective.

LP Planned Activities 2011
- Grand Opening ceremony and Exhibition, Sunday 9th Oct Eko Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos
- Lagos Photo Party in the Park, Sat 15th/Sun 16th Oct, Muri Okunola Park Victoria Island, Lagos.
- Lagos Photo Photo Walk (for amateur and professional photographers) Sat 22/Sun 23rd Oct
- Photography workshops (for amateur and professional photographers) – 7th-23rd October
Sun 30th Oct - Fashion photography exhibitions /film screenings - Muri Okunola park, Victoria Island
- Outdoor exhibitions – Muri Okunola park, Victoria Island, Falomo underpas,s Ikoyi, MKO Abiola park Ketu, Ikeja, Professor Ayodele Awojobi Park, University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba.

ETISALAT Amateur Photography Competition

2011-01-31T01:12:00.000-08:00

As part of the Lagos Photo festival, African Artists' Foundation presents the Etisalat Lagos Photo Amateur Photography Competition!

Do you have an eye for a photo? Do you long to have your secret talent acknowledged for the world to see? Or do you simply like to have fun with your camera?

Whichever the case, this competition is for you!

Following the theme, Lagos Under the Prism, simply take a photograph that reflects your view of Lagos, from whatever angle you choose to interpret it, and you're qualified to participate!

So, bring out those camera phones, point-and-shoots, SLR's, or even webcams, and get snapping!*

--1st Prize: Digital SLR Camera + Blackberry phone + 1 month free data service
--2nd Prize: Blackberry phone + 1 month free data service
--3rd Prize: Easynet Hero Modem from Etisalat, including 500MB!!

To enter the competition, drop off a CD containing your collection at:
African Artists' Foundation HQ,
54 Raymond Njoku Street, Off Awolowo road, Ikoyi.

OR
send two images from a collection to:
aafetisalat@gmail.com,

with the following details:
-Name (In Full)
-Phone Number
-Active email address
-Brief write-up showing how your photographs interpret the theme, Lagos Under the Prism

This competition is open until the 30th of January, 2011.

Lagos Photo 2010 Catalogue is here!

2011-01-30T15:46:00.001-08:00

We are pleased to announce that the Lagos Photo catalogues are now available for purchase.

As the first Lagos Photo Festival catalogue, and in conjunction with Nigeria's 50th anniversary, this special edition catalogue is a collector's dream!
With articles by award winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Art Curator and AAF Director, Azu Nwagbogu, Art Personality Chike Nwagbogu and special Guest Writer, Diane Lemiuex.

Price: three thousand five hundred Naira.

Free Delivery available to home and office. Limited Copies available!

For more information, please contact:
01-7450750
info@africanartists.org
www.africanartists.org