Artist Viktor Ekpuk will discuss his career, perspective and work which is debuting at the Smithsonian’s Arts + Industries Building (AIB) as part of 2019’s By The People festival June 15-23. This tall, overhanging piece mixes traditional African symbols with a story about the future. The artist uses a digital printing method to cover a tall, octagonal fabric structure with his signature African-based pictograph language. As you try to decipher the story behind the signs, lean back and extend upwards toward the light pouring into the rotunda. Victor Ekpuk is a Nigerian-American artist based in Washington, DC. His art, which began as an exploration of nsibidi “traditional” graphics and writing systems in Nigeria, has evolved to embrace a wider spectrum of meaning that is rooted in African and global contemporary art discourses. Guided by the aesthetic philosophy nsibidi, where sign systems are used to convey ideas, Ekpuk re-imagines graphic symbols from diverse cultures to form a personal style of mark making that results in the interplay of art and writing. Ekpuk’s art reflects his experiences as a global artist. The Smithsonian’s Arts + Industries Building is a main hub for By The People, a free international arts and dialogue festival celebrating life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness created by Halcyon. You’ll find stunning large-scale art installations, bites by DC’s cuisine incubator Foodhini, and pop-up showcases featuring some of the city’s most interesting multi-platform performers who blend sound, dance, and visual inspiration. AIB opened in 1881 as America’s first National Museum, and was our original home for ideas about to change the world. Closed to the public for nearly two decades, AIB is now being reenergized a laboratory for imagining the future through exciting events, exhibitions, and collaborations. This program is proudly ASL interpreted, thanks to the Smithsonian’s Office of Accessibility. |