Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation is pleased to announce its participation in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia curated by Koyo Kouoh. Since its inception in 2019 by Yinka Shonibare CBE, G.A.S. has been dedicated to facilitating international cultural exchange and supporting creative practices through residencies, collaboration and educational initiatives. Its programmes operate across two sites in Nigeria; a purpose-built creative space in Lagos and another on a sustainable and regenerative-focused farm with an artist’s house and studio in Ikise, Ogun state. Together these spaces offer distinct yet interconnected contexts for research, critical thinking, experimentation, and sustained artistic development. Committed to expanding access and opportunity within the arts, G.A.S. supports the creation of new work while fostering dialogue across various cultures and disciplines. Rooted in the hyper-local ecosystems in which it operates, the Foundation functions as an agile, non-hierarchical platform for experimentation which invites artists and thinkers to test ideas, build meaningful local and international networks, and engage urgent social and cultural questions. Its programme encompasses research on food and ecological systems, alternative models of education and institution building, and creative and social infrastructure.

G.A.S. Foundation is pleased to welcome Loni Abiodun, a Lagos-based photographer and filmmaker, for a five-week residency at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikiṣẹ. Working across photography, moving image, and sound, Loni’s practice examines everyday life in Nigeria through the lens of identity, community, and the dynamic tension between tradition and modernity. His work blends candid street photography with stylised portraiture to construct intimate visual narratives rooted in lived experience.

On February 19th, 2026, G.A.S. hosted Story Story, an interactive presentation of residency research, reflections, and clay works by Fiyin Koko. Framed as a journey through storytelling, play, and imagination, the evening traced how her time at the G.A.S. Farm House in Ikiṣẹ shaped the works developed during her five-week residency. Drawing from folklore, encounters with children and community members, and the rhythms of daily life on the farm, Fiyin reflected on how observation, memory, and environment informed her evolving practice.

On February 12, 2026, G.A.S. Lagos hosted Artist Open Studio, a presentation and walkthrough of works developed by Nduka Ikechukwu during his four-week residency. During his stay, Nduka focused on research and experimentation, using the period to reinterpret and reassess the direction of his practice. Designed in two parts; a closed, guided feedback session followed by a public presentation,  the programme created space for constructive dialogue with art professionals before opening the work to a wider audience.

In November 2025, Guest Artists Space Foundation (G.A.S.) and Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), partnered to launch  the Finnish-Nigerian Peer Mentoring Residency Programme at Villa Karo’s centre in Grand-Popo, Benin. The programme provides an immersive cross-cultural experience where Finnish and Nigerian visual artists live, work, and learn together, offering two fully funded, eight-week residencies to G.A.S. alumni based and actively working in Nigeria.

On January 30, 2026, G.A.S. Lagos hosted Face to Face, a networking and exchange session facilitated by current resident artist Nduka Ikechukwu. Designed as an intimate gathering, the session created space for meaningful exchange between Nduka and members of the Lagos art community, including artists and cultural workers. Based in Nsukka, Nduka joined G.A.S. for a four-week residency focused on research, networking, and the development of new work shaped through dialogue and encounter. Upon arriving at G.A.S., he expressed a strong interest in connecting with practitioners beyond his immediate context and expanding his professional network within Lagos.

G.A.S. Foundation is excited to welcome Nduka Ikechukwu, a Nigerian artist, for an immersive four-week residency at G.A.S. Lagos. Based in Nsukka, his practice spans installation, sculpture, and textiles, with a strong focus on questions of identity and traditional culture rooted in the Igbo apprenticeship system and the role of titles as markers of progress within the Igbo society. Central to his practice is the use of industrial strap belts, which he stitches into layered forms to examine labour, endurance, and collective effort. Through this material, Nduka articulates metaphors of strength, resilience, and human relationships exploring the ties that bind people to place, purpose, and one another.

Artis is a contemporary non-profit arts organisation dedicated to supporting artists and contributing to global conversations around art and culture. Based in New York, Artis works with artists from Israel whose practices engage aesthetic, social, and political questions, encouraging reflection and debate through thoughtful and innovative approaches. Artis is partnering with G.A.S. Foundation in alignment with their shared commitment to supporting artists and fostering critical artistic exchange.

In 2025, Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation joined TheMuseumsLab Partner Museums Network. TheMuseumsLab residencies are short-term exchanges that support knowledge sharing, skills development, and long-term partnerships between Fellows and host institutions. Since its launch in 2021, the Partner Museums Network has grown to include over 50 museums across Africa and Europe. As part of the programme, Rado Ištok and Ng’onga Silupya were selected as 2025 Fellows and undertook a one-week residency at G.A.S. Lagos.

Adegbola Gallery is a contemporary art gallery and curatorial platform committed to fostering critical engagement with art from Africa and its diaspora. The gallery aims to amplify diverse voices and deepen public appreciation of contemporary visual culture. In 2025, G.A.S. Foundation partnered with Adegbola Gallery to facilitate residencies for Nigeria-based artists, expanding G.A.S.’s growing network of collaborations with institutions across the country. This partnership aims to support artistic development, strengthen local artistic infrastructures, and create opportunities for sustained exchange between artists, curators, and audiences