Telecommunications Operator, Etisalat Nigeria, Eko Hotel and Suites and the African Artists Foundation (AAF) have announced the 2015 edition of the annual LagosPhoto Festival themed Designing Futures.
The month-long event which is in its sixth edition is slated to open to the public from October 24 at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.
Launched in 2010, The Lagos Photo Festival is the first and only annual international photography festival in Nigeria, and it aims to establish a community for contemporary photography which will unite local and international artists through images that encapsulate individual experiences and identities from across all of Africa. It features exhibitions, workshops, artist presentations, discussions, screenings, and large scale outdoor exhibitions, presenting in the process a contemporary and historical visual essay of the continent to both local and global audiences.
Speaking at the Press Conference to unveil the edition, Director, Lagos Photo Foundation, Azu Nwagbogu, said the LagosPhoto Festival offers to Africans a platform that enables ownership of images and narratives about Africa and Africans.
His words, “LagosPhoto Festival enables us to understand why we have to take ownership of our own image and our own story or narratives. In the past, the narratives that were made about Africa or our country were given to us by outsiders. At Lagos Photo, we strive to take ownership of and to communicate this internationally because the world is shrinking around us. So it is very important for us to join the digital revolution and begin to communicate the more impactful vision for the country, the continent and for humanity as a whole.”
Also speaking on its continued sponsorship of the Lagos Photo Festival, the Chief Marketing Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Francesco Angelone, noted that the festival is in sync with the company’s vision of encouraging creativity and innovation through the creation of and support for credible platforms.
“Etisalat is passionate about innovation and creativity. We have also been in the forefront of promoting excellence, nurturing talent and providing platforms for people to express themselves and communicate their ideas. This is why we created the Etisalat Prize for Literature, the first ever pan-African prize aimed at recognizing and celebrating writers and other members of the literary community across Africa. We also inspire creativity and innovation with the Etisalat Prize for Innovation, also a first-of-its-kind in Africa. It is in this light also that we have sponsored the Lagos Photo Festival right from inception about 5 years ago,” he said.
Mr. Angelone also revealed that a Gala night would be hosted on October 28 in honour of the participating photographers.
This year’s Lagos Photo Festival will feature 35 photographers from 18 participating countries including Egypt, France, South Africa, Italy, Ivory Coast, UK, India, The Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Morocco, DRC, Ghana, Germany, New Zealand, USA, Switzerland, Guinea and Nigeria. The theme, Designing Futures will be looking at exploring contemporary dialogues surrounding design in Africa.
Lagos Photo has featured images from Nigeria’s finest and award-winning photographers, as well as images from renowned international artists that captured the essence of various themes.