The Cultural Crossroads Jozi To Lagos

Nigeria Sun 15-11-2009

The Cultural Crossroads Jozi To Lagos
By Adebayo Omotade, Mathota Matsetela and Daniel Friedman

Cultural Crossroads has evolved from humble beginnings as a once-off exhibition into an ongoing project that brings artists, photographers, filmmakers and writers from a diverse array of backgrounds and cultures together.

They will collaborate, in the process creating works that will use these different arts disciplines to bridge the cultural divide.

In the process, we hope to develop the careers of upcoming South African artists as well as people from around the globe who are currently living in South Africa, by providing them with much needed exposure and giving them a platform to explore the entire continent, in the process allowing them to place their art in a broader African context.

We hope to do this through the organisation of a fully sponsored road trip, The Cultural Crossroads Jozi to Lagos Exchange, which will take a group of artists, writers and filmmakers from Johannesburg to Lagos, stopping in 15 countries on the way.

In each of these countries, collaborations will take place between the Cultural Crossroads team and a variety of artist and painters in each country.

^{Okada by Ayo Adewunmi}

We are in the process of assembling a group of talented and professional young arts practitioners and members of the media that will include 8 to 15 artists, 5 photographers, 3 film-makers, 4 writers, 2 painters, 1 graphic designers and a radio presenter.

The Cultural Crossroads Jozi to Lagos Exchange has several outcomes - to publish a book based on the road trip, to produce a documentary and to curate an exhibition of photography, fine art and design.

Apart from resulting in the creation of important new works, our road trip also has a broader social significance - we hope to develop and empower young and talented artists either based in or originating from South Africa, as well as to provide these artists with a means to explore their continent, learning to tell their stories within an African context and to tell Africa's stories from a personal perspective.

We believe that while artists may not have the power to break down physical borders, we are in unique position to break down the mental borders that divide countries and continents, and create greater unity, not only between Africans but also between people from around the globe.

South Africa is in a unique position as one of the economic powerhouses of Africa, and the arrival of the 2010 World Cup will see the eyes of the entire world fall on us, looking to us as African role models.

At our worst, though, South Africa has been seen as a nation isolated from its continent, and incidences of Xenophobia are proof that we need to make an effort as a nation to foster good-will and co-operation between us and the rest of the continent.

The Cultural Crossroads Jozi to Lagos Exchange will be testament to the powerful role that art can play in creating African, and indeed international unity.

We look forward to working with some of South Africa's leading organisations, brands and companies, without which a project of this scale and ambition would not be possible. So far we have been attracting interest from Metro FM, Sabc2, DSTV and Land Rover, and we are in the process of finalising sponsors.

We look forward to working with any individuals, organizations or brands that can provide ideas, resources or input that will bring us closer to making our vision a reality,

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