Female photographers this year are dominating the Lagos Photo Festival, making up 90 per cent of the artists showing the best of art.

Organised by African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) at the Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Center, Ikoyi, the festival unveiled a colourful exhibition that will run till November, with a convergence of art lovers, curators and art critics in attendance.

The LagosPhoto exhibition themed; “Ground State-Fellowship within the Uncanny” is a collection of photographs by international photographers who, through their lens, explored and exposed the uncanny nature of the ecosystem and its surmounting challenges to mankind.

In the words of the curator, Paula Anta, ‘listening to the deepness’ as the title goes, serves as a converging topic that incorporates different themes and concerns related to the observation and understanding of the outside with the unique vision of the artists, such as their involvement with experiences, cultural phenomena, environmental issues, myths, or the social features of others.

“The female platform Cómo ser Fotógrafa (How to be a woman photographer) presents an exhibition project featuring the work of four artists. Beyond the different backgrounds and themes, the four projects shown have an important thing in common. All of them stem from a place of listening, avoiding direct conceptualization, and adopting an attitude initially based on respect and observation of the outside, which makes it possible to think more deeply later on.”

She noted that contradiction is a part of all realities, no matter how painful or beautiful they are. It is also a part of all inherited attitude, whether they are hopeful or helpless, adding that in order to find coherence, you have to have feelings and positions that are at odds with each other. “This creates a paradox. So, we should take the time to listen and try to understand the depth of the situation, no matter how contradictory it seems,” remarked Paula Anta.

“We might get closer to a better understanding or, at the very least, a sense of sisterhood by listening. One thing that can save us in the end is our ability to understand how other people feel, even if we see things differently. The projects address these questions from sociological, cultural, visual, and archival perspectives, using different themes and languages. It includes the use of portraiture, landscapes, document on, and in sum, all the possible resources that can bring us closer to these questions and move us to listen to the outside world with a higher level of consciousness.”

In Lagos, ‘The History of Quietude’ by Chris Iduma offers a fresh perspective on the vibrant yet chaotic city of Lagos. Having lived there for three decades, he re-imagines this bustling metropolis through a lens-based project. Contrary to the common portrayal of Lagos as a high-octane commercial hub, the project delves into the city’s quieter and more isolated moments. It seeks to find serenity in a city that seemingly never sleeps, capturing the essence of Lagos beyond its bustling surface.

Through this project, Iduma explores the interplay of personal and collective memories, presenting an introspective reflection on Lagos as an urban phenomenon. Each image candidly frames the negotiation of space and time by its subjects, unveiling uncanny moments of reflection in this dynamic city. Lagos: The History of Quietude invites viewers to discover a different side of Lagos, one that embraces silence amidst its constant activity.

One of the artists, Gloriat Oyarzabal, said: “I think there is a lot of community consciousness and I am happy to see men listening, talking and joined us to talk about issues affecting us.

“I believe in the power of photography; I studied Fine Art and I have been a professional photographer for 11 years. When I graduated, I specialized in restoration of paintings and I had a joint studio where I was making the pictures of paintings, and my partner and I had a cinema in Madrid.

My first time in Nigeria was 2015 with Lagos Photo and I am here this year exhibiting 11 projects.

Also speaking, curator, Assistant Art, Africa Artist Foundation, Lagos Photo Festival, Adeyosola Adeniran, in terms of recognition, people who have voices in determining how things work are still the men, men are still the ones at the helm of the conversation, on the board, putting the works in museums. We have seen more female photographers and I am happy about that but at the end of the day, we have to go back to the hierarchy of power, who is directing the conversation and the flow of event. Women are not a buoyant as men or have the same agency that men have that put out their art.

“One of the things we try to do at the Lagos Photo Festival is to ensure that we put out good work; Lagos Photo Festival will always ensure that women voices will be represented. We want people to share their stories.