Ecobank Nigeria Limited, the African Finance Corporation, AFC and Soto Gallery have partnered to organize the +234Arts, an international arts exhibition designed to promote emerging artists.
Speaking at a press briefing on the exhibition, Head SME, Partnerships and Collaboration, Ecobank Nigeria, Ms Omoboye Odu, said that as a leading institution supporting creative industry in Nigeria, Ecobank plays a key role in promoting tourism, culture, and the creative industries, in line with its Pan-African policy of advancing art across the continent.
“The bank recognizes the creative industry as an essential driver of economic growth, well-being, and global connectivity.
“What we found is that the global art market is estimated to be around $62 billion and the bulk of that comes from North America. So how do we ensure that Africa has some footprint in that market, especially Nigerian artists who are probably the more popular artists in Africa? Soto is doing an amazing job by bringing un-gallerised young artists that don’t know how to work the market.
“We are bringing the financial activities, financial guardians, corporate governance for them, to ensure that they become celebrated. It’s not just about creating art .
“We have this. So we’re working with Soto, holding the master classes, with different capacity building seminars, to ensure that we uplift these young artists and give them the platform where they can play and get a chunk of that large art market.”
Also speaking, Ms. Tola Akerele, Founder Soto Gallery and Curator +234 Art Fair, said, “This meticulously curated five-day event, titled “Championing Patronage in Nigerian Art,” will feature the works of over 260 artists, showcasing cutting-edge art from emerging and un-galleried Nigerian artists. The fair will run from March 27th to March 31st at the Ecobank Pan African Centre (EPAC) in Lagos.”
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