On October 28, 2018, another exhibition space launched in Lagos as Gallery B57 with the exhibition “Ghosts of Bar Beach” by photographer and conceptual artist, Ade Adekola. The debut exhibition, a post-documentary perspective to the history of Bar Beach in Lagos, Nigeria, examines how contemporary artists deal with the concept of nostalgia and memory.
This body of work is defined as ‘Post Documentary’ by Adekola because of the long time interval between shooting the images and creating the remastered works. The images do not document specific events but memories of a colourful past. Each image comes alive and creates a spark of resonance, sometimes in a slow meditative and contemplative pace.
Adekola’s symbolic gesture of layering his images, ghosting and the use of vibrant colours fit with the idea of time, nostalgia and loss that are consistent with the history of the displaced Bar Beach and the site of Eko Atlantic City in present Lagos.
Ade Adekola, ‘The Thirst Quencher’
Ade Adekola is an internationally-recognised, award-winning architect turned conceptual artist. He works primarily by exploring the possibilities offered by digital image making. He spent several years in Silicon Valley where he witnessed the dawn of the digital transformation of photography. At this juncture, Ade started to explore the transformative power offered by innovations in photography. His enthusiasm was captured, and his experimental photography practice was born. Moving back to Nigeria in 2005 his creative emphasis shifted, as he started to concentrate on creating elevating images that reframe and redefine the Nigerian Cultural narrative.
As an image maker, photography is more his medium than it is his craft. His practice is aimed at conceiving, orchestrating and delivering images so charged that one may experience them as objects. Typical in his work is the use of vibrant and at times electrifying colours.
“Ghosts of Bar Beach” is open until November 11, 2018, at the Gallery b57, 57 Bishop Oluwole, Victoria Island, Lagos.