Art Exhibition

The VIOMEREN Art exhibition held between 18th to 20th of December 2020 with exhibiting facilitators and artists present in Abuja, Nigeria.

Curators: Ngunan Ioron Aloho and Ver Ikeseh supported by VIOMEREN team.

VIOMEREN ART EXHIBITION

The Art exhibition is a showcase of works co-created by the NLAAC artists and selected migrants held in Abuja, Nigeria.

Artist: Abdullahi Raheem

Title: A Faceless Modern Slave

In this painting, few things are immediately obvious. The malnutrition and shackles are indicators of a slave’s life of bondage, torture and harsh conditions. The painted face represents the loss of rights and identity that comes with being poor and at the mercy of thieving officials. Slavery does not end in the camps of Libya. Even back home, when they seem to be at the mercy of certain NGOs, return migrants are extorted for their finances by inconsiderate managers.

The slave with a painted face has no connections and is not respected enough to be defended by anyone. Nobody knows the name of that poor, hungry man. He has nothing to contribute to the world except the labor of his malnourished arms. We should not forget that these faceless people are our neighbors and acquaintances who have only fallen on hard times and have as much human rights as we do.

It is important that cases of extortion by government officials and NGOs be looked into and the policies governing financial support for return migrants be reviewed to maximize the desired results.

Title: Prisoner in Restraints

Prisoner in Restraints in this artwork is both figurative and literal. Having little education, the only way the migrant makes a decent living is by peddling her body. Whatever attempts she could have made at personal development have been stifled by family members who take advantage of her mother’s absence to abuse her sexually and friends that exploit her helpless situation to offer little to no payment for manual jobs.

For some reason, everywhere she goes, she is first seen as a sex symbol before she is seen a human trying to live a decent life. This limits her choices to either going hungry or satisfying men’s lecherous demands. With a child to cater to, it is less avoidable.

Despite attempts at support by NGOs, it is obvious that there is a failure in the implementation of the support systems as there are many girls out there whose voices are not heard and are in similar, many, much worse situations.

It is important that the policies on implementing support programs for return migrants be reviewed to eliminate these corrupt practices inhibiting the programs from having the desired impacts. With no help from any quarters, with no other means besides the obnoxious lifestyle of prostitution to which survival is terminally attached, can we not refer to her then as a prisoner?

Title: Hell's Pastures

Hell's Pastures depicts the migrant as a prisoner imprisoned with a hole in her chest depicts a life of perpetual disappointment and depression where attempting to make a better living will very likely leave you in as much despair or worse than you already were, and returning to your roots is not without harm either because the sacrifices you have made will leave you open to stigma by those that had to sacrifice even more when they came to your rescue.

I believe that there is the need to provide counseling services for returning migrants and their families on what reactions to expect from society and how to manage those situations. The absence of this will leave them open to new overwhelming challenges which may result in depression, risky behavior, and attempting to emigrate again, all of which contradict the intention of reintegration into society.

Artist: Ufan Aii

Title: How It Began

The painting depicts a neglected innocent child (child model: ADORA YADNUS) sitting on the ground with a crown that was tossed to her. The crown symbolizes family wealth and fatherly presence but instead of being on the head of a king, it is found on the floor which connotes how low the father stoops to gain the confidence of her innocence before inflicting multiple pains of sexual abuse, rape and parental neglect. The knife depicts different situation and decisions that create unhealable negative scars which are forever and unforgettably inflicted on her soul. The shadow is the figure of the father which the child looks up to for trust, guidance and protection but, in turn, he rather aids in every bad decision the child makes in life which has left unforgettable and unforgivable scars and both her physical and mental state which has led to this moment.

Artist: Omoge Lawrence

Title: The Traveler Migrant

Only He who wears the shoe knows where it hurts", a proverb says. We can only surmise what migrants go through, yet what we surmise is barely half of what they experience.

Grotesque, horrible, terrifying experiences are what runs through the veins of these migrants; exactly their nightmares like mirrors.

Migrants at one point envisage how much it would better their dreams if they migrate to other countries in hopes for greener pastures. They have to toil and struggle whilst on this horrifying sojourn. Men, women and children alike are the spoils of this nightmare.

The migrant has to be in motion almost every hour of the day, most times he or she spends days on a particular sojourn without food or water or hopes of getting near to their Dreamland. Nights of despair on the very loud and uneasy sea. Peckish waves are eager to devour innocent souls on the naked boat that houses them. Days of unstoppable tears and unguided wailings.

They toil, work hard day and night only to have their lives threatened at gunpoint. They work brutally, yet get unpaid. During this course, they are made products of modern slavery.

The migrant is a hairdresser who envisions she would make a better stylist if she travels to England. The migrant is a tailor who dreams he/she would be famous for their designs once they travel to Spain. The migrant is a PHOTOGRAPHER who envisages he would be sought after and become world-class at his service once he travels to GERMANY and comes back home.

He views the promised land through the lens of his camera, hopeful to get there yet what he dreams is shattered.

The migrant is returned home after many horrible experiences they have faced; head down and worry to take up where they left, yet the horrors of the past will not stop haunting them. Even their home country owes them.

Artist: Karimot Odebode

NOT FOR SALE KARIMOT ODEBODE .mp4

Title: Not For Sale

Not For Sale shares the thoughts of women and girls who are often abused, trafficked and sexually exploited. For women and girls, they call prostitutes, harlots, Ashawo, whichever pleased them in exchange for funds meant for them, not the girls - for girls transferred from one madam to another.

Artist: Yemisi Ojo

No promised land by Yemisi.mp4

Title: No Promised Land

No promised land highlights the sufferings of trafficked migrants who for the promise of a better life abroad left their homes and ended up suffering worse fates in search of a better life.

Artist: Seyi Fakindele

Of Boggers, and Government; Irregular Migration, _Monopoly Money_.pdf

Title: Of Bloggers and Government

Of Bloggers depicts the chain of slavery involved during the journey to the unknown by the migrants.

Artist: Mbangohol Ikeseh

Lily A Short Story - Co-Creators_ Mbangohol.pdf

Title: Lily

Lily narrates the stories of all who desire to chance for a better life - traveling overseas to get a better chance at life, often these women, men are deceived by others that traveling to practice these skills is the ultimate but forget to mention the struggles and dangers associated with "illegal migration".

Artist: Doofan Anakaa

SHACKLES .pdf

Title: Shackles

The poem, "Shackles" was inspired by the harrowing experiences of a Nigerian returnee migrant in Libya en route to Italy. His experiences and those of his companions bring to the fore the fact that sometimes, modern-day slavery is "bought and embrace" by the victims. Stoically, they stake all for financial gain that would guarantee a better life. Totally oblivious that they are trading their lives for chains.

Artist: Priska Igbe

INCOGNIZANT.pdf

Title: Incognizant

My story was inspired by the actual lived experience of a returnee migrant as well as some other migration resources shared with me by the NLAAC team.

PHOTOS AT THE EXHIBITION