Google Arts & Culture has announced the launch of Eko for Show exhibition where over 100 creatives in music, art, photography, fashion, musicals, literature, and food were profiled.
The online exhibition aims to showcase and celebrate Lagos and shine a light on the city’s thriving creative communities in order to inspire the next generation of creatives, the global tech company said.
Google said in partnership with seven of Lagos’s top cultural institutions, the Eko for Show online exhibition will enable audiences to virtually “meet” some of the city’s music makers, visual artists, trendsetters, storytellers, and foodies.
The seven cultural institutions include the African Artists Foundation, Homecoming, Lagos Fashion Week, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Rele Arts Foundation, Terra Kulture, and the Centenary Project.
It stated that partners have shared over 8000 photographs, 80 online stories, 3 Street View experiences, and 175 videos, which is presented in one unified online experience.
Some of the highlights include essays by ten women writers who share their personal reflections on Lagos, including Mọlará Wood and Lọlá Shónẹ́yìn as well as behind-the-scenes interviews with Afrobeats stars Teni the Entertainer, Kizz Daniel, and Reekado Banks.
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“Google Arts & Culture’s mission is to preserve and promote the world’s art and culture online to everyone, anywhere in the world. With Eko for Show, we celebrate the creative industry of Lagos and share the buzz, even if virtually, through the works and stories of its incredible youth and culture” Director, Google Arts & Culture, Amit Sood, said.
Lagos is one of Africa’s fastest-growing cities and a major financial hub on the continent, boasting the fourth-highest GDP. In the past, it has garnered international attention for being a hub for creativity, thanks to the more than 25 million people who comprise this community of talent and excellence.
Commenting on the initiative, Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, “The coronavirus regrettably resulted in the cancellation of many creative events in Lagos State, which is why I am so excited about the Eko for Show project, a continuation of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation’s partnership with Google Arts & Culture.”
The Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Folorunsho Coker, added, “The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation is committed to fuelling Nigeria’s economy by supporting creativity, youth, and entrepreneurs. Since 2020, we have collaborated with Google Arts & Culture on a programme to shine a light on Nigeria’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, spectacular nature, bustling cities, and our welcoming spirit.
“Our partnership with Google Arts & Culture has a crucial role to play in seeing us achieve our mission of accelerating growth of domestic tourism, and fostering economic development in Nigeria,” Coker says.
Google Director West Africa, Juliet Ehimuan, credited the Taste of Nigeria project, announced in 2019, for giving people across the world the chance to experience Nigerian arts and culture.
“The launch of Eko for Show further reinforces Google’s commitment to Nigeria’s art and creative industry, and its support for the recovery and growth of Nigeria’s tourism sector,” she said.
