A group, known as Word-4-Word Art Movement, has appealed to the three tiers of governments to support artists and art exhibitions in order to further develop the tourism sector in Nigeria.
The founder of the movement, Ikenna Nwachukwu, made the appeal on Monday while speaking with newsmen on the outcome of a week-long art exhibition organised by the movement.
The exhibition, tagged, “Cultural Blackout’’, took place at the National Gallery of Arts in Enugu.
Nwachukwu said that art could be positively harnessed for national development.
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He also described art, especially visual art, as a veritable tool that enriches the mind, making it less vulnerable to corruption.
He said: “There are researches showing that art appreciation enriches the mind and makes it a less fertile place for the seeds of corruption to grow.
According to him, art is life and good art always speaks to one area of reality or the other in a way that educates, inspires and edifies.
Nwachukwu, however, said that Nigerians are not so much into visual arts but deep into music and films.
“We are trying to bring in a whole new idea into art exhibition so that it will be possible for art appreciation to expand beyond those who move around arts and culture, such as journalists and writers.
“We, therefore, urge governments at all levels to help us promote it, especially among public figures,’’ he said.
One of the exhibitors, Nnedinnso Ozioko, said that art remained a means of self-expression, adding that “it can be used to ameliorate societal ills’’.
“Artists use their works to talk about the happenings in the environment, revealing the ills of society.
“By doing this, they can change or correct ways things are done,’’ Ozioko said.
Another exhibitor, Don Ukez, said that one of his works, “Agony of a nation”, which was in line with the theme of the exhibition, talked about the state of the Nigerian nation.
“If you look closely into the work, you will see the pain the people go through, you also see the blindfold that the government has placed on them.
“The people are now required to remove that blindfold in order to see the corruption that is going on around them,’’ Ukez said.