Nigeria: Intervention... 'Large Is Art' Colour Goes Deep At Art Contest

19 December 2014

DESPITE a seemingly modest use of space by all the 12 finalists - except one - at the 2014 National Art Competition themed Intervention, the yearly event could not get out of the 'large is art' syndrome as another huge, wall and floor work was announced as the first prize winner.

In the past four or more editions of the African Artists' Foundation (AAF) and Nigeria Breweries (NB)-organised art competition, art contents have been confined within huge or massive size context as all the winning works in the top prizes were always the largest of the finalists. But production, aesthetics and presentation - not sizes - were usually among the criteria in interpretations of the competition's central themes. While the organisers always argued that the jury had the final say and size was not part of the criteria, most of the past winning works would pass for coincidences too many, raising suspicion about a possible hidden agenda to promote a specific kind of art.

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