Nigerian Breweries and African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) are pleased to announce the Call for Proposals for the National Art Competition 2013, 10 May - 15 June 2013.

The National Art Competition (NAC) is an annual arts competition for Nigerian artists with each edition driven by pertinent themes in line with current social issues. In its five year span, the National Art Competition has showcased emerging talent in such diverse mediums as painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media, installation, and video art. With a focus on the processes of artistic creation rather than solely the end product, artists are asked to submit a proposal for an unrealized work. After hundreds of entries, twelve finalists are invited to take part in an artist retreat, where workshops by leading artists, professors, curators, and arts professionals allow finalists to flesh out the conceptual threads of their proposal and work together in a studio environment. The competition includes cash prizes totaling four million naira and provides the artists national and international exposure and exhibition opportunities.

NAC 2013’s theme is Identity: Who Do You Think You Are?, where artists are asked to interpret the topic through a conceptual embrace of artistic practices. This year’s theme examines the status of the individual in both Nigerian and global society today. At this time in Nigeria, there is an ongoing debate about the value and functionality of our national identity. Do we persist with identifying with our state or tribe of origin or have we truly embraced the community where we have made our residence?

With vast changes sweeping the nation, including urban development, rising technologies, and the evolving social climate, personal and collective cultural identity are constantly in flux. How is identity constructed and articulated? What external forces come to define our understanding of ourselves and the world around us? What is the relationship between individual identity, national identity, and their position in the face of rising globalism?

Artists of all ages and working in all mediums are encouraged to apply. The Selection Committee will be headed by Professor El Anatsui.

Click here to download the NAC Application Form. Please Adhere to the Submission guidelines stated in this form.

PRIZES

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Submission dates Call for Proposals Open 10 May 2013

Call for Proposals Deadline 15 June 2013

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The National Art Competition is proudly sponsored by Nigerian Breweries Plc, coordinated by African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) and supported by Studio 24.

NIGERIAN BREWERIES AND ART - Nigerian Breweries has been partnering with the African Artists’ Foundation to organise the National Art Competition for five consecutive years. This is part of an effort to encourage and promote the development of creativity, arts and artists in Nigeria. This sponsorship remains only part of a broad initiative to support arts development in Nigeria, as well as the development of talents in various fields of endeavour. Nigerian Breweries recognizes that arts play an important role in strengthening cultural values in any society.