When Anything Becomes Art, What Becomes of Meaning?

Approximately 25 years ago, a group of young artists from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, arrived in Lagos with a mission to disrupt traditional ideas about art. Under the guidance of Professor El Anatsui, they organized a joint exhibition titled "New Energies" at Mydrim Gallery and Nimbus Art Centre. This exhibition presented works that blurred the lines between art and ordinary objects, featuring items like a cigarette cup measure of garri and arrangements of ceramic teacups, which bewildered and sometimes dismissed by viewers accustomed to conventional paintings and sculptures.

The author recounts a similar challenge encountered at Dak'Art, the Dakar Biennale, a year prior. While serving as a pioneer editor for the Biennale newspaper, the author searched for an off-site exhibition on Gorée Island. After extensive searching, the artwork was revealed to be a large heap of granulated sugar on the floor, adorned with miniature plastic cowboys and Indians. This experience, shared with an American acquaintance, Larry Torres, and Professor El Anatsui himself, prompted skeptical questions about what truly constitutes art.

Professor Anatsui's silent smile in response to the author's and Torres's bewilderment is interpreted as a profound acknowledgment of artistic freedom. The article delves into the concept of freedom of expression, a term frequently used in contemporary art but rarely examined critically. While dictionaries define freedom as the absence of restraint, artists often embrace this ideal, pushing boundaries and exploring the furthest reaches of imagination.

The piece references the Surrealist André Breton, who championed automatism and unrestricted expression. However, it also touches upon Breton's provocative statement about firing a gun randomly into a crowd, highlighting the inherent difficulties and potential conflicts at the heart of absolute freedom. The article suggests that while artists exercise their freedom, the critical examination of this freedom and its implications remains a complex and ongoing discussion.

“

The artist had simply exercised his artistic freedom.