By Osa Mbonu-Amadi, Arts Editor
The Managing Director and Chief executive Officer of LVI Art Gallery & Cultural Nexus, Mr. Julius Oziengbe Iyoghiojie, has said that in the forthcoming 2023 Edo State Festival of Arts and Culture, EDOFEST, culture will be used to showcase art.
Mr. Iyoghiojie made the disclosure recently at his art gallery space in Lekki while having a media chat with Vanguard on the partnership between LVI Art Gallery and Edo Ministry of Arts, Culture and Tourism in hosting the 2023 EDOFEST, which comes up between 17 and 19 November 2023.
The Lagos leg of the festival will be held at Colonades Marque Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos, while the Edo leg takes place at the Ogbe Stadium in Benin.
“Our art is embedded in our culture, and our culture expresses our art,” Mr. Julius Iyoghiojie told Vanguard. “The two go together. The Edo State government has been doing a lot things in the art space – pushing art, tourism, cultural revolution. So, I decided to have a synergy and see how we can work together on the cultural festival, knowing that the governor and the commissioner are very passionate about arts and culture globally.
“I am from Edo State. I have this burning desire to showcase our culture. If you don’t showcase it, apprentices won’t be interested in coming into this fold. The cultural festival is about networking. Edo State is rich in arts and culture. Edo is known globally for arts and culture. So, the cultural festival is a platform for all these – networking, business opportunities, arts and culture, our crafts, our foods, our agricultural resources, cottage industry, hospitality. It’s a basket.”
The renowned gallerists said “it’s a collaboration with Edo State Ministry of Arts, Culture & Tourism. The Governor, Godwin Obaseki will be coming to open the festival both in Lagos and Benin.”
What is going to be the specific role of LVI in the EDOFEST? “The organization, LVI, is curating the festival along with the ministry team. Definitely, I am going to be one of the exhibitors in addition to curating the festival,” Iyoghiojie said.
What informed the idea of holding the Lagos leg of the festival? “The Lagos festival is tagged “Edo State to the world.” The one in Benin is tagged “My home, my culture and my pride.” We are bringing Edo State to Lagos. Lagos is the commercial centre of Nigeria, even of Africa. We are also blessed to have a lot of Edo citizens in Lagos here. We have the embassies here, corporate organisations, multi-nationals, etc. So, we want to showcase Edo to the world,” he said.
“Traditional festival, by the custodians of our culture, which is the Palace at home, is seen by some people as idolatry because of the issue of religion. For that reason, some people may not want to participate. But when the state and a private entity come together to do it, those people will see it as entertainment. That removes the fetish conception attached to it. So, we want to remove those biases,” said Julius.
The Lagos leg of the festival will be ticketed, because of the huge financial cost it will incur. But the state will provide security and the Ogbe Stadium in Benin as the venue.