Deployment of Visual Arts as an Empowerment Tool for Cultural and Societal Renewal in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

The essence of a vibrant society is its ability to both preserve and reinvent its
culture, thereby conserving its history and heritage while creating new forms of
expression for the present. Thus, for several decades, some states in Nigeria have
carried out beautification projects that entail the use of visual arts. A recent
example is the effort of the Lagos State Government in the Lagos @ 50 Project.
This is an ambitious effort that fully engages artists to create and unveil
community murals and other forms of artwork to validate and celebrate the
historical past while using public art works to revitalise streetscape
improvements. Also, some privately-owned organisations, such as Terra Kulture
and Nike Centre for Arts & Culture, both in Lagos, have been involved in
deploying visual arts as a means of preserving the societys cultural heritage.
This study examines how visual art activities are being deployed, particularly
through the engagement of artists, as a tool for cultural and societal renewal in
Lagos State. The methodology adopted involves the direct application of first and
second-hand observations as well as bibliographic studies geared towards a
qualitative research. The Meta-theory of Empowerment is deployed to establish
the theoretical foundation for the study. This paper articulates the roles of visualarts in society and the forms in which they are being deployed towards culture al
and societal renewal in Lagos State. It concludes by noting the challenges faced
and making recommendations on how they could be surmounted in order to
enhance these roles.