Artist Yinka Shonibare is utilizing funds gained from art sales to make contributions to Africa.
Artist Yinka Shonibare's G.A.S. Foundation Expands the Boundaries of Contemporary Art
In the heart of Nigeria, Yinka Shonibare's Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation is making waves in the world of contemporary art. Founded in 2019, the non-profit organisation has quickly become a hub for international artistic exchange and interdisciplinary research.
The foundation, which is now part of Fondation H's permanent collection and showcased in Shonibare's current exhibition at the foundation, was established with the aim of fostering dialogue and creative exploration within Lagos’ vibrant cultural landscape.
One of the key objectives of G.A.S. is to support practice-led interdisciplinary research by hosting residencies for PhD candidates and artists engaged in innovative work. The foundation has successfully achieved this, hosting residency programs like the 12-week PhD placement for Jonn Gale, an ethnobotanist and doctoral candidate, integrating academia with local cultural contexts.
G.A.S. also promotes cross-disciplinary dialogue and creative exchange within a dynamic artistic environment. This is evident in their partnership with the Yinka Shonibare Foundation to launch The Short Century Intensive in 2025, a research fellowship aimed at fostering dialogue and creative exploration within Lagos’ vibrant cultural landscape.
International artistic collaborations and exchanges are another focus of the foundation. G.A.S. has collaborated with LUX, a UK arts foundation, on the collaborative, cross-cultural initiative Art Exchange: Moving Image, supporting the professional development of early to mid-career curators from the continent working in the medium.
The G.A.S. Foundation's impact extends beyond Nigeria, with partnerships such as the one with Fondation H, a private contemporary art foundation in Madagascar. Shonibare's exhibition at Fondation H, his biggest solo show to date in Africa, is currently on display.
The foundation's work is not limited to traditional art practices. The G.A.S. Farm House residency, located on a 54-acre plot in Ijebu in Ogun State, supports transdisciplinary research and practice in areas including agronomy, food sustainability, and architecture.
The African Arts Libraries Lab, an initiative to foster intra-African and global collaboration on African and Afro-diasporic library collections, will be launched as part of this year's edition of Re: assemblages. This programme, along with the two-day symposium on November 4 and 5 during Lagos Art Week, demonstrates G.A.S.'s commitment to preserving and celebrating African art and culture.
Shonibare's legacy extends beyond his art, as he funds the G.A.S. Foundation with money from the sales of his art. His work, praised by Gus Casely-Hayford OBE, director of London's V&A East and the former director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, for its ability to help craft a detailed understanding of Africa’s past and its importance in shaping it, continues to inspire and influence.
The foundation has welcomed renowned artists and curators such as Tunji Adeniyi-Jones, Portia Zvavahera, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Emma Prempeh, Joy Labinjo, Evan Ifekoya, and Osei Bonsu. Upcoming residents include Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock, curator and researcher, and Joey Aresoa, a multidisciplinary Malagasy artist.
In conclusion, the G.A.S. Foundation serves as a unique platform combining artistic practice, academic research, and cultural exchange, with a focus on nurturing creative projects in Nigeria and internationally. Its impact on the contemporary art world is undeniable, and its future promises to be just as exciting.
- The G.A.S. Foundation, a modern beacon in Nigeria, is revolutionizing contemporary art.
- Founded in 2019, Yinka Shonibare's Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation has emerged as a global hub for artistic exchange.
- With a vision to foster dialogue and creative exploration, the foundation is now part of Fondation H's permanent collection.
- The foundation offers residencies for PhD candidates and artists engaged in innovative work, such as ethnobotanist Jonn Gale.
- Cross-disciplinary dialogue and creative exchange are encouraged through partnerships like The Short Century Intensive.
- International collaborations are fostered through initiatives like Art Exchange: Moving Image with LUX, a UK arts foundation.
- The foundation's reach extends beyond Nigeria, with partnerships like the one with Fondation H in Madagascar.
- It supports transdisciplinary research in areas beyond traditional art practices, such as agronomy and food sustainability.
- The African Arts Libraries Lab aims to collaborate on African and Afro-diasporic library collections, fostering global dialogue.
- Re: assemblages will launch the African Arts Libraries Lab this year, demonstrating the foundation's commitment to preserving African art and culture.
- Shonibare's philanthropy extends beyond art, funding the G.A.S. Foundation from art sales.
- His work, praised by Gus Casely-Hayford for its ability to illuminate Africa’s past and its future impact, continues to influence.
- Renowned artists and curators, such as Tunji Adeniyi-Jones and Portia Zvavahera, have been welcomed at the G.A.S. Foundation.
- Upcoming residents include Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock, a curator and researcher, and Joey Aresoa, a multidisciplinary Malagasy artist.
- The G.A.S. Foundation combines artistic practice, academic research, and cultural exchange, nurturing creative projects both locally and globally.
- Its significant impact on the contemporary art world promises an exciting future, bridging the realms of science, health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, cooking, lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, gadgets, technology, education-and-self-development, personal-growth, career-development, learning, skills-training, sports, and even basketball (through initiatives like the NBA and NCAA basketball).
