The Impression Art competition that has been jointly organized by the Uganda National Cultural Centre and the Nigerian High Commission will increase the cultural relationship between the two countries, Ismail Ayobami Alatise, the Nigerian Ambassador to Uganda has said.
The competition which has attracted 53 participants (four Nigerians and 48 Ugandans) will be held at Nommo gallery tomorrow March 30.
“Both the Nigerian High Commission and the Uganda National Cultural Centre appreciate the ties the two countries have enjoyed over the years, expressing and embracing each other’s creative and cultural products, including the performing arts like music and the literary arts of literature and film,” Alatise told Journalists while unveiling the judges on Tuesday.
In terms of percentages, Alatise said that more Ugandans have embraced more of Nigerian creative and cultural products.
“Therefore there is a need to deliberately have the same reciprocated in Nigeria, where we would see more Ugandan artistic products received and enjoyed in Nigeria. Such initiatives as cultural exchanges and cultural cooperation can help achieve this,” he added.
The international visual art competition for students from tertiary institutions in Uganda and the Nigerian community in Uganda and Nigeria has been running for the past three weeks.
The competition ran under the theme “My impression of Nigeria, My impression of Uganda.
“This activity is aimed at strengthening the bilateral cultural relations between Uganda and Nigeria. It engaged tertiary institutions to get the best young artists, involving both the Nigerian community in Uganda and Ugandan students,” said Alatise
As a motivation, he said participants will receive awards, ranging from monetary (Shs2m for a winner, Shs1.5m for the first runners-up, and Shs1m for the second runners-up), to exhibition-related, exposure-related, art residency exchange programs, exhibitions, and certificates, among others
The objective of the competition is to interrogate and write the impressions, narratives, and perceptions that people have about the two countries; strengthen the creative and cultural ties, promote cultural exchange between the two countries, promote pan-Africanism; and organize and curate an annual art competition that recognizes and appreciates artistic talents in Nigeria and Uganda.
Speaking at the same presser, Francis Ojede, the ED of UNCC said that UNCC will continue to nurture and develop talent aimed at promoting Uganda’s cultures and creating employment opportunities.
“As part of our efforts to fulfill our mandate, we are proud to showcase Nommo Gallery, the National Art Gallery, which features exhibitions of works of art by both Ugandan and foreign artists, and boasts an impressive assortment of art masterpieces, including paintings, batiks (tie-and-dye), ceramics, art prints, photographs, and sculptures,” he said
The unveiled judges include; Maureen Muwanga Senoga, Venus Aransiola, Sanaa Gateja, Paul Lubowa, and James Y Ajayi.
