We are pleased to welcome Remi Kuforiji, an architect, spatial practitioner, and researcher, to his G.A.S. Lagos residency. A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Remi's work interrogates the nuanced intersections of race politics, mapping, and performance. His project, Water No Get Enemy: Counter-Cartographies Of Diaspora, redefines Nigerian masquerade as a critical tool in cartography, challenging the neo-colonial exploitation of Nigeria’s natural resources. During his residency, Remi aims to conduct first-person research on Lagosian masquerades, exploring their impact in contrast to resource extraction in Lagos.
His goal is to produce a series of photographs and sculptures, investigating the architectural dimensions of masquerade. Seeking support in project development and local collaborations, Remi envisions delving into these mediums as extensions of his existing performance and film-based creative practice. This residency offers a unique opportunity for him to immerse himself in Lagos, fostering deeper connections, conducting on-site research, and pushing the boundaries of his art practice with newfound empathy and contextually relevant mediums.
Remi's residency is generously supported by the Royal College of Art Association of Black Students, Alumni & Friends (RCA BLK).
Water No Get Enemy: Counter-Cartographies Of Diaspora, Tunis, Tunisia September 2023. Exhibition. Photograph by Leen Ajlan.
What is the current focus of your creative practice?
As my research focuses on topics situated in Nigeria, this residency is an incredible opportunity for me to be in Lagos, conducting first-person research, developing relationships with previous and new collaborators in person and developing my creative practice with a level of empathy that wasn't possible due to working from a distance.
Water No Get Enemy: Counter-Cartographies Of Diaspora. Sharjah, UAE, March 2023. Exhibition. Photograph by Ivan Erofeev. Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation.
What drew you to apply for this residency and how do you think it will inform your wider practice?
As my practice is looking into topics situated in Nigeria, this residency is an incredible opportunity for me to be in Lagos, conducting first-person research, developing relationships with previous collaborators in person and exploring my creative practice with a level of empathy that wasn't possible due to working from a distance.
Water No Get Enemy: Counter-Cartographies Of Diaspora, 2021. (Still image). Photograph by Samuel Udoh.
Can you give us an insight into how you hope to use the opportunity?
I hope this opportunity can push my art practice to operate with a deeper level of intimacy, whilst allowing me to explore contextually relevant mediums I haven't used before, and foster connections with a diverse network of individuals and communities in Lagos.
RESIDENCY ARCHIVE
EVENT: Playful Preservation
Event Date: 2nd April 2024
Remi Kuforiji, an architect, spatial practitioner, and researcher in residence at G.A.S. Lagos, invited members of the creative community to apply to attend Playful Preservation, a free workshop on 4th April 2024 at G.A.S. Lagos, to collaboratively propose alternative ways of preserving Afro-Brazilian history and culture in Lagos. This opportunity was open to diverse practitioners, including artists, architects, artisans, performers, and other makers and thinkers interested in the subject matter. Participants were involved in a symposium discussing issues around preserving the unique urban fabric of the Afro-Brazilian community on Lagos Island. In response to this discussion, participants proposed alternative realities through collaging, drawing, and experimenting on top of archival and current photographs of Afro-Brazilian architecture in Lagos.
Event attendees in the G.A.S. Courtyard.
RESIDENCY REPORT
Water No Get Enemy: Counter-cartographies of Diaspora describes the ongoing research of Remi Kuforiji, one of two inaugural residents from the Royal College of Art's Association of Black Students, Alumni & Friends (RCA BLK) at G.A.S. Foundation. Starting in 2021, the multifaceted project has taken various forms including installation, Illustration and film. The project aims to develop a model of resistance to crude oil extraction and ecocide in the Niger Delta. By learning from indigenous epistemologies archived in Nigerian masquerade, the project proposes a new masquerade: a method of cartography that critiques harmful extractive practices by bringing multiple diasporic sites into dialogue through performance.
Group photo with museum staff at the National Museum, Ile-Ife.
ABOUT REMI KUFORIJI
REMI KUFORIJI is an architect, spatial practitioner and researcher based in London. Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in 2021, he has continued researching the intersections between the politics of race, mapping, and performance. His project ‘Water No Get Enemy: Counter-Cartographies Of Diaspora’ positions Nigerian masquerade as an architectural tool of cartography to critique the neo-colonial extraction of the Niger Delta’s resources. The multimedia project employs film, costume and installation and has been exhibited in London, Rotterdam, Sharjah and Tunisia.
Remi's residency is generously supported by the Royal College of Art Association of Black Students, Alumni & Friends (RCA BLK).
