Argentine Embassy honours Afro descendants through arts exhibition
Argentine Embassy honours Afro descendants through arts exhibition
Exhibition
By Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, Nov. 7, 2019 (NAN) The Embassy of Argentina in Abuja is partnering with the Abuja Art week showcasing series of art works and short films to honour Afro descendants in Argentina, who contributed immensely to the country’s independence.
Marta Gonzalez, Charge d’ Affairs of the Argentine Embassy, Abuja, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during the opening of the Abuja Art week.
According to Gonzalez, Argentina was participating in the maiden Abuja Art Week to commemorate the Day of Afro Culture and Afro Descendants day in Argentina, which is celebrated on Nov. 8 in Argentina.
“Today, we are showing the short film, “Integro, integro, integro (Integrity, Intergrate, Intergrated) by Argentine visual artist, Gaby Messina.
“This is to honour Maria Remedios de Valle, an Afro-descendants, who fought under the command of Manuel Belgrano’s army during the Independence war.
“This short film is part of a wider project on Afro visibility in Argentina. Through everyday scenes, the film will focus on what has been made invisible and even removed.
“The main idea is to offer the viewers an opportunity to look at the way in which the past has been built, how social inclusion has been naturalized nowadays.
“And how social expectations and evaluations are imposed on the basis of prejudice and belittlement of some particular skin colours,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez said that there were still so many Afro-descendants living in Argentina with the Afro-culture still very present in its Latino culture.
Also speaking, Ms Jhu Anyanwu, Director, Abuja Art Week said that organising the five-day Abuja Art week seeks to inspire people through art, so that they can take it seriously and also be part of their lives.
Anyanwu said that unfortunately, Nigerians do not take arts seriously, explaining that people just hang paintings on their walls, go to exhibitions without having a reflection on the art works.
“In Nigeria, arts is something that people put beautifully on the wall but not being thought as critical.
“Someone like Fela was a music artist, he had something to change and he changed lives. Even as he is dead now, he is still changing lives, and so do painters, writers, performing artists.
“We are trying to bring that to the forefront and expose people more. The more people are exposed, the more they get to appreciate it.
“I hope that this is a good beginning with not only engagements with the public and inspiration to artist and the public,” Anyanwu said.
Anyanwu commended the support of the Argentine Embassy and its efforts in honouring the black race through the commemoration of the Day of Afro-Descendants and Afro-Culture. (NAN)
LIZ/AFA
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Edited by Felix Ajide