‘There Will Be A Country’ is a multimedia project that aims to counter western media stereotypes of violence, war and poverty in Nigeria. Though these challenges exist, they tell only a fraction of the complete story. Using fictitious news magazine covers, set in the future, I create a compelling visual story through this large-scale public art installation that counters a biased and often misleading representation of Nigeria, which has impeded the country’s social and economic development.
In the run up to the 2023 elections in Nigeria, the project also aims to rekindle hope for a ‘better Nigeria’, devoid of internal instability, flooding and corruption, through headlines and images that reflect future breakthroughs in social, economic and technological advancement the artist believes are not too far off. It is my hope that this project will inspire Nigerians to “dare to dream new hopeful realities into existence.”
This project, though taking its starting point in Nigeria, hopes to further challenge long held stereotypes of Africa as a whole that are predominantly pessimistic, while advocating for better representation of the continent in the mainstream media.
#ThereWillBeACountry #AWorkingNigeria #FutureNigeria
