RCA BLK and Yinka Shonibare Foundation (UK) today announce their partnership on a new artist residency programme in Lagos, Nigeria. Together, the organisations will host two residencies in spring 2024, in collaboration with Guest Artists Space Foundation (G.A.S) in Nigeria; one for an exceptional early/mid-career artist who is an RCA BLK member; and one for a research-based proposal from the wider RCA BLK community.

The Yinka Shonibare Foundation, Guest Artists Space Foundation, and British Council collaborated to create a cultural nexus by hosting a group of visual art curators in Lagos during the 4th edition of the Lagos Biennial. Joined by G.A.S. friends, Biennial VIPs and our patrons, the group participated in an immersive programme that took place between the 2nd and 7th of February and included participation in the official programme of the Lagos Biennial alongside in-depth tours of local institutions, artist studios, collections and galleries.

G.A.S. Foundation entered the month of November rounding up the Lagos Art Tour itinerary, and welcoming 2023’s final residents, TK Smith, Elsa James, and Alberta Whittle. Curator and cultural historian, TK Smith, was the first to arrive in Lagos for a six-week stay supported by Barnes Foundation. After several days basking in Lagos' annual Art Week, TK was joined by Essex-based artist, filmmaker, researcher, and activist Elsa James and acclaimed Barbadian-Scottish artist Alberta Whittle. All three residents began a collaborative, travel-filled stay at G.A.S. with a group trip to Benin City diligently facilitated by G.A.S. Residency Co-ordinator, Adekunle Adeboye.

In early December, Yinka Shonibare Foundation had the pleasure of co-hosting the six participants of the Art Exchange: Moving Image programme in London for an immersive one-week residency. This dynamic initiative, tailored for early to mid-career visual arts curators from Sub-Saharan Africa specialising in moving image projects, provided a unique space for cultural exchange and peer-led professional development. The week-long experience opened doors for engagement with various moving image collections, interactions with artists in the field, and meetings with curators across institutional, independent, and gallery backgrounds.

Between October 30th and November 5th, we had the pleasure of hosting the Lagos Art Tour 2023 - an immersive week filled with gallery, museum, and studio visits, complemented by exclusive events at both G.A.S. locations and ART X Lagos. The initiative has stemmed from the success of a similar experience organized by Y.S.F. in 2022 to celebrate the International Launch of Guest Artists Space Foundation, providing global visitors with a firsthand encounter of the vibrant cultural scene in Lagos and beyond.