In African Glass Futures, guests received an introductory talk through glass production, and its role in traditional societies around the world as currencies, markers of class, and glassmaking as a coveted skill. The evening uncovered RCABLK resident, Graeme Smith's expertise as a glass sculptor, ceramicist and researcher of traditional and contemporary glass-making techniques.

Attendees also had the unique opportunity to view and interact with a curated collection of glass pieces from Bida, Niger state, crafted by Masagá glassmakers, whose traditional practice is now an endangered Nigerian Middle-Belt glassmaking tradition. Pieces were loaned by Lesley Lababidi, Ambassador of Nupe Cultural Heritage, and exhibited alongside Graeme's sculptures and experiments inspired by African glass histories.

The talk drew provocations from a reading of Saidiya Hartman's Wayward Lives Beautiful Experiments, paving the way for discourse on cultural perceptions of manual labour and handwork. 

Re:assemblages (2024-25) is a support structure and programme initiated by G.A.S. Foundation that explores the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive as a site of rhizomatic exchange. Through a series of activations, the programme aims to foster discursive dialogues and actions on African art publications.

In 2012, instrumental symposium Condition Report: Symposium on Building Art Institutions in Africa was held in Dakar to address the changing role of art institutions and initiatives in Africa in a decade that witnessed the emergence of a various independent art spaces. 12 years on, Re:assemblages poses new critical questions focused on the creative potential of libraries sustained by art institutions in the African continent.

G.A.S. Fellow and current resident, Amanda Iheme, is thrilled to announce an open call for photographers to participate in her upcoming Open Studio event. This opportunity is designed for photographers at the early stages of their careers who are eager to showcase their work, and engage with a vibrant community of artists and art enthusiasts during the event. This open studio is an excellent chance to network, receive direct feedback on your work, and gain visibility within the local art scene.

Are you passionate about cultural exchange and eager to delve into the exploration of African art library collections and archival materials? Join us as a researcher under G.A.S. Foundation's 7 week Annotations Research Programme from 10th June until 26th July 2024. 

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.