Dak'Art: Art Is Not A Luxury

Ethiopia Fri 14-05-2010

Dak'Art: Art Is Not A Luxury
Maggie Otieno/AfricanColours.com

mulugeta

AfricanColours: Why are you an artist?

Mulugeta Gebrikidan: I don’t know why but I know how I became an artist. I cannot be anything else but an artist. I did not have a chance to experience art at an early age. I met an artist sketching one day in the streets of Addis, and everything else after that is history.

AC: Did you study art formally? How did you happen to find yourself an artist?

MG: I studied art at the Addis Ababa school of Fine arts and Design and graduated in 1992. My ambition was to create ideas that were very personal to me.

AC: What are the challenges and benefits of being an artist?

MG: As an artist living in Addis, I find that many people think that art is a luxury so they do not invest in art. But for me art is a basic need. To continue making art is one challenge and the other is to get a place to show your work. The benefit I personally get as an artist is the great satisfaction I have when I get contentment with the piece I have completed and more so when people are able to access my work.

AC: Where have you exhibited in Africa or Internationally?

MG: In Africa I have exhibited in Senegal for the 1st time. Internationally I have exhibited in Germany and America.

AC: How has travel to these locations influenced your work?

MG: A lot of influence usually comes when an artist decides to experiment, especially when you see a variety of art works. When you go out there you try to find your way and see different types of art. You develop a wider understanding and start thinking outside the box.

I let these experiences be part of my work without necessarily having them influence my work to completely change my working style.

_{Detail- Boundaries Bound | Mixed Media | Mulugeta Gebrekidan | Ethiopia}

AC: Does your family support your decision to be an artist?

MG: My father believes in education so he supports his children to pursue their own ambitions. My father understands the path I have taken and supports me fully. My mother visits my studio frequently; she places my sketches on the wall whenever she finds them on the floor.

AC: Are you passing on your knowledge to the next generation?

MG: Yes in Addis we have different art groups that meet and talk about art. I share my experiences in these kinds of forums.

AC: If you were not an artist what would be your career?

MG: I like this question. A football player….

AC: Describe the most beautiful piece of art you have ever seen.

MG: In 2004, a New York artist visited Addis. His name was David Hammon. David is a conceptual artist. He had an exhibition in Addis and we were all curious to see his work. At the opening of his show, the curator told him to speak and he said he had nothing to say and that he wanted people to just enjoy seeing his work.

His work was in a very dark room so we had torches in order to access the room. As we got in, we could not see the art work except for the torch rays from every one’s hand. We started laughing and wondering what this was all about.

I went out and asked the artist what this meant. He asked me to figure it out, and I realized his work was in my questions. This was a special experience and our communication continued for a long while after he had long gone. The title of David Hammon’s show was ‘the divine light’.

His work was a turning point for me.

AC: What would you say to the emerging or budding artist?

MG: Art is all about the concept being born in your mind and the urge to let it out by all means. The medium you choose to let it out through is your choice. Get your own concepts and run with it. Do not copy, originality is key here, you either have it or not! Get creative and you will go a long way.

AC: How is the artistic scene in your country like?

MG: Compared to 10-15 years it is vibrant but very limited in terms of galleries and museums that promote local art. Cultural institutes support art e.g Alliance Francaise and Goethe institute. Many artists are struggling to find venues to show their work. We still need locations in Addis that support and showcase art.

AC: What is the place of the visual arts in your country?

MG: The current situation is that there is limited space to show art works. The government does not support the arts so we are basically on our own. Artists have to find their way round in the art world back at own. It is an uphill task.

AC: In your opinion then, how can the Visual Arts connect with the people?

MG: We need forums that bring the public where we are. These forums are in form of residencies, workshops and festivals. They are the platforms’ to make art more vibrant in Ethiopia.

AC: How can Art Schools, Artists and Galleries address this problem? This is after all, a problem that is felt in all of Africa?

MG: All these institutions need to first recognise that art is important before they can even expect the public to believe the same. Art must be shoved in people’s lives so that they grow with it.

More spaces are needed so that art can be accessible everywhere. Art institutions need to come and organize joint artistic ventures to portray the rich culture of the artists that they represent.

AC: Are art festivals like this one useful for Africa?

MG: Indeed! We need more serious festivals in this continent. I get to network here and meet with a lot of artists, curators, collectors and gallery owners. African artists must strive to be very aggressive in participating in the festivals so we can show the world what we have, and what we have is really mind blowing.

_{Boundaries Bound | Mixed Media | Mulugeta Gebrekidan | Ethiopia}

AC: What is the connection between art and economic development?

MG: When most African states realise the connection between art and the economic development, artists will be singing a whole different tune in their individual countries. When the state does not support its artists, and the artist does not benefit from the State, resources are shifted to the Diaspora and the losers become the mother state.

AC: Are you satisfied with the current efforts to create awareness and promote contemporary African art by AfricanColours?

MG: I was Googling my name just before I came for this Biennale. The link with my art works on www.africancolours.com appeared, I was happy that people can access my work that easily! The internet is the artist tool for visibility to the world. I encourage artists to use online websites like AfricanColours to showcase their work. Anyone looking to see my work can find me there.

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Your Comments

Tedi Ware: Mulugeta lives for his art; it's wonderful to see him online here so that he can be appreciated around the world. He was

nduwhite ndubuisi ahanonu: Nice one..my friend

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