<p>長期以來，紐約北部地區一直是藝術家的靈感源泉，這裡充滿了新舊藝術活動，並且正仔細審視自身的傳奇歷史</p>

Sophie Landres

紐約哈德遜河谷不斷發展的藝術概念有何獨特之處？ 

<p>In 2017, after a year of studying photography and fine art at Parsons School of Design in New York, Nigerian-born painter <strong>Stephanie Unaeze</strong> had a decision to make. She could choose to stay in the US and pursue a career there. After all, in just one year, she had already shown in two group exhibitions and hosted open studios where curators, art educators, and gallerists had seen her work. There was some promise.</p><p>Or she could go back home. The decision rested on where she could draw the most energy and inspiration for her work, and where she could build an international presence. She got on a flight back to Nigeria.</p><p>‘This was where I was meant to be,’ says Unaeze. ‘I also felt that I had work to do in Nigeria – that living here would help me tell my authentic story.’</p>

<p>Energetic and inspiring, Lagos certainly is – and not only during Art X, the local art fair that has gathered significant traction in recent years. With independent artists bootstrapping careers to global acclaim, international dealers setting up shop, galleries opening at increasing rates, and collectors funding residencies and private museums, Lagos is fast-becoming one of the most dynamic art capitals on the continent, catching up with Johannesburg. </p><p>What’s more, artistic energy here often thrives against the odds. The art industry in the Nigerian capital is developing against a dire economic backdrop and with little help from the government. </p><p>‘We are finding ways to put ourselves on the map without state funding,’ says <strong>Nengi Omuku</strong>, a sculptor and painter based in the city. ‘I did a residency in France and it was shocking to me how much is funded by the state. You don’t have things like that here, but people are making do.’</p>

<p>
	‘I don’t think we are losing anything by not getting state funding,’ continues mixed-media artist <strong>Kelani Abass</strong>. ‘It inspires people to go out of their way. If you are not expecting anything from anybody, you will work harder.’</p><p>Some Nigerian artists find great success at home and abroad, but they often have to do without the traditional markers of career progression: an art school education, strategic gallery associations, or a famous mentor. Painter <strong>Collins Obijiaku</strong>, for instance, went straight from working in obscurity in Nigeria to being represented by renowned Californian gallery&nbsp;<a href="https://www.artbasel.com/catalog/gallery/1258/Roberts-Projects">Roberts Projects</a>.
</p>
<p>
	This is the energy Unaeze wanted to tap into. And three years after her Lagos touchdown, she feels that the decision has paid off. ‘Being here has afforded me the ability to test myself and see what art means to me personally, to see how far I’m willing to take it, to see how creative I can get,’ she says.</p>

<p>根植於連通性，<strong>River Valley Arts Collective（RVAC）</strong>與住所、展覽空間和農場合作策劃展覽，舉辦技能分享工作坊，併為藝術家提供生態材料。 它是在為期一年的實地研究后成立的，旨在繪製和整合文化地形。 創始人兼執行董事<strong>Alyson Bake</strong>r分享道：“有一個連通性是一致的：那便是渴望與自然世界建立聯繫。 無論作品採取何種形式，我們都能聽見景觀、動物、土壤、季節、天氣等方面的體驗...... 這一切都與建築環境所驅動的對話截然不同。 “ RVAC專案的基石是一年一度的”On the Grounds“展覽，在<strong>Al Held Foundation</strong>周圍宏偉的場地上呈現雕塑裝置。 </p>

<p>由於這種社會層面的關注，以前來哈德遜河谷尋求與世隔離的遊客越來越將其視為尋找群體的地方，特別是通過藝術機構提供的服務。 雕塑建築公園歐密國際藝術中心（Art Omi）促進了人們與藝術的戶外接觸，同時通過其駐留計劃將所有創意領域 的國際從業者聚集在了一起。 非營利組織O+意識到美國的許多藝術家都是缺乏醫療保險的臨時工，因此專注於社區的真正福祉。 它優先考慮女性、黑人、原住民、有色人種和LGBTQ+藝術家，通過委託藝術家製作公共壁畫以換取醫療保健服務，同時「拓展了我們對過往誰被允許佔據空間、被看到和被讚揚的看法」。</p>

<p>Non-profit organizations also play a significant role. <strong>The Centre for Contemporary Art</strong> (<strong>CCA</strong>), founded by the late great curator <strong>Bisi Silva</strong>, and the <strong>African Artists Foundation</strong> (<strong>AAF</strong>) are true stalwarts of the Lagos art scene. Since launching in 2007, both have raised money to offer curatorial training and mentorship programs that have served as the foundation for many artists’ careers.</p><p>
	‘CCA and AAF protect the heart and soul of the art ecosystem by elevating the discourse and presenting new ideas,’ says independent curator Ugonna Ibe.</p><p>Yet, despite the strength of Lagos’s art scene, artists often still suffer from a lack of visibility – and the discourse lags behind. ‘There is so much to be done,’ Ibe continues. ‘We are not doing a good job of documenting and archiving what we have achieved.’</p>

<p>
	The dominant narrative about the art scene in Lagos is increasingly being written abroad by journalists, curators, academics, and researchers looking in – rather than by robust local art media and commentators. This lack of reverence for history is a systemic issue in Nigeria. National museums across the country are gathering dust and are deprived of the funding which would allow them to collect modern and contemporary artists and inscribe them in the canon.</p><p>Thankfully, things are changing slowly. Recently launched private museums such as the <strong>Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art</strong>, which is named after the collector who founded it, and the government-backed <strong>John Randle Centre</strong> may go some lengths to filling the archival gap. Six hours outside Lagos, the <strong>Edo Museum of West African Art</strong>, due to open in 2025, promises to be a destination museum. It will house hundreds of Benin Bronzes, ivories, and works in wood returned by European and American museums in an ongoing wave of restitution.</p>

<p>Toomer還設立了一個每年舉辦三天的活動UPSTATE ART WEEKEND。 在2022年曾展示了47個開放工作室和由各種類型和大小的藝術空間所舉辦的100多個展覽。 像Jack Shainman這樣擁有博物館級的展覽空間The School的藝廊、Elijah Wheat Showroom、Mother藝廊和SEPTEMBER藝廊 ，還有一些博物館Dia Beacon、Magazzino Italian Art等，以及一貫出色的巴德學院赫塞爾藝術博物館策展研究中心（Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College's Hessel Museum of Art）都已經開始成為人們 的目的地，並且是外地人很難發現的機構。 對Toomer來說，「連通性是最終目標」，因為它突出了一個地區的多樣性，而這個地區往往被附近充滿活力的大都市所掩蓋。&nbsp;</p>

<p>Captions for full-bleed images, from top to bottom: 1.&nbsp;Alexander Liberman's work&nbsp;<em>Adonai</em> (1970–71, refabricated 2000), on view at Storm King Art Center. 2 and 3. Nature views of the Hudson Valley. 4.&nbsp;Lizania Cruz’s project 'Freedom Budget' on view at STONELEAF RETREAT. 5. Mark di Suvero's work&nbsp;<em>E=MC2</em> (1996-97) on view at Storm King Art Center. All photos by Tonje Thilesen for Art Basel.</p>

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