Archives and Memories

This exhibition features the work of six Nigerian artists: Ndidi Dike, Temitayo Ogunbiyi, Odun Orimolade, Ngozi-Omeje Ezema, Taiye Idahor, and Wura-Natasha Ogunji. Centred on the curatorial archives of the late Bisi Silva, founding director of the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, Archives and Memories interrogates the interplay of personal and collective memory. Through archival materials, personal histories, and artworks, the exhibition examines how memory is revisited, reconstructed, and transformed.

Revisiting the late Bisi Silva’s curatorial projects from 2008 to 2018 at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos, the exhibition foregrounds the passage of time, exploring how time transforms archival records, artistic works, and memory itself. Often, the time gaps between when events occur, when they were documented, and how they are later remembered shape both the authenticity and interpretation of archives, influencing how history is constructed. Rather than viewing these temporal distances as mere obstacles to historical accuracy, Archives and Memories positions the passage of time itself as a critical tool for examining archival credibility. As time progresses, it not only reveals the biases and omissions inherent in archival records but also provides new perspectives and contexts through which to evaluate both the archives themselves and the memories they preserve. The shifting perspectives through time allow us to understand archives not as fixed repositories of truth but as dynamic entities whose meanings evolve.

The participating artists engage with the past, recontextualising it within the present. Through diverse mediums, including drawings, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, installations, and mixed media, they collectively challenge conventional approaches to archiving and memory-making. Drawing from personal experiences, archival materials, and broader historical contexts, their works create layered interpretations that invite reflection and dialogue. By re-presenting these works, the artists uncover traces of transformation, erasure, and reinterpretation, giving them fresh relevance.

Archives and Memories does not seek to provide a comprehensive account of Nigerian women artists or encompass the entirety of Bisi Silva’s curatorial engagements. Instead, it offers a space for reflection on what is remembered, what is forgotten, and how the act of archiving itself shapes our collective understanding of the past. The exhibition asserts that archives are not memories in themselves but serve as touchstones for retrieval, preservation, and reinterpretation. They are fluid sites where meaning evolves over time.

Favour Ritaro, Exhibition Curator