In December 2016 ARTLabAfrica opened an artist-led, non-profit project space to promote awareness and visibility in Nairobi’s exciting arts community through staging cultural events, exhibitions, performances and workshops open to the public.

 

Its first event, a solo show exhibition of emerging Nairobi artist Onyis Martin, In Conversation (Talking Walls), saw members of the public interact with the local arts community in a series of events aimed at increasing participation. The exhibition examined identity as an abstract metaphor and questioned the methods through which 21st Century advertising borrow from traditional gender roles, class and race to then market to an audience increasingly influenced by contemporary values. 

 

Further events will see ARTLabAfrica artists engage with the community and the public through hosting lectures and workshops as part of our education program, inviting children from local communities to experience the artist’s process from planning to execution.