The Swiss Arts Council promotes contemporary art and culture for national interest on behalf of the federal government. Its tasks, outlined in the Culture Promotion Act, are carried out independently. Active across disciplines except film, the council advocates for transdisciplinary artistic practices. It supports the creation and dissemination of Swiss art, fosters cultural exchange, provides stimuli for contemporary artistic development, and champions equal opportunity and sustainability in creating favorable conditions for artists and cultural practitioners.

To mark their return to G.A.S. Lagos, Raymond Pinto will be hosting Bridging Wildlife Conservation and Creative Expression, a panel discussion with the Green Fingers Foundation. Guided by their ethnographic and anthropological fascination with Yoruba material culture, Raymond forged a connection with wildlife conservation while researching the Yoruba tradition of Gelede, where masks held paramount significance. Notably, they gained access to several masks, including the Yale University Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gelede mask featuring pangolin figurines—the most trafficked mammal today. This exploration led Raymond to collaborate with the Green Fingers Foundation wildlife conservation NGO in Lagos, situated in Lekki. In this initiative, Raymond seeks to raise awareness about this crucial species integral to Nigeria's ecosystem.

Nolan Oswald Dennis, a versatile artist working across disciplines, is making a highly anticipated comeback to G.A.S. Lagos, following their initial research residency in January 2023. Supported by the Goodman Gallery, their first foray into Nigeria explored Nigerian post-colonial art education and the landscape of Nigerian modernism. Engaging in a whirlwind of activities, including interstate trips, site visits, interviews, and cultural research, Dennis conducted reconnaissance on locations slated for the upcoming edition of the Lagos Biennial.

Returning for a residency spanning from January 25th to February 7th, 2024, Nolan is now immersing themselves in preparations for the Lagos Biennial. This incubator period serves as a crucial phase for fine-tuning the details of the pavilion they are designing, which will hold artworks by former G.A.S. Residents, Evan Ifekoya, and Raymond Pinto. Beyond Lagos, Nolan expresses a keen interest in connecting with Ibadan and the New Culture Studio. Their research agenda extends to exploring the Nsukka school, the Mbari Artists and Writers Club, and other movements that defined Nigeria's modernist era.

On Friday, January 26th, 2024, G.A.S. Lagos hosted an evening dedicated to the fusion of art and blockchain technology. Initiated by our Economists in Residence, Victor Svensson and Eric Oetterli, it brought together a panel of contributors, including specialized artists, and practitioners, working with blockchain from the Nigerian space. Together, the panel explored the opportunities within their ecosystem that can be leveraged in artistic practices.

This segment spotlights individuals at G.A.S. who have independently taken the initiative to procure funding for a Nigerian residency experience. With varying motivations like a desire to connect with the African continent, or a specific curiosity about the residency program at G.A.S., our independent residency program has attracted individuals from the Nigerian and wider African diaspora.