On a recent trip to The Gambia with cameraman Matt Glen, I was lucky enough to float upriver from the lodges at Mandina and see the Wide Open Walls art project at Kubuneh village. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was amazed at how strung out the village was – I’d imagined a tight huddle of properties, all lit up with gaudy street art, but the actuality was much different.
The village covered an area of two or three kilometres, the buildings arranged seemingly at random either side of a long dusty bush road. In between were expanses of land, covered in scrub and baobab trees. We’re so used to organised urban and suburban habitats, that it was unfamiliar to see the land used in this way, or simply not used, just left to be. As such, the project and the art forms within it, was structured by this layout – instead of a single area (an equivalent of a gallery space, for instance) the pieces appeared gradually, and their effect was cumulative. You might see one of Lucy McLauchlan’s birds halfway up the trunk of a massive baobab, an older Bushdweller’s stencil in a doorway, or you might wander into a compound and see one of Xenz’s larger installation pieces.
Because of all this, the wow factor I’d been expecting was largely muted, but it was replaced by an admiration of the way the artists had allowed their work to blend into the environment, not let it dominate, or in turn be dominated. This coalescence is the projects great triumph and will ensure its survival. The other major factor is the effect the environment has on the art, and specifically the paint: already some pieces are beginning to look weathered, some taking on the appearance of ageing or even prehistoric art – this adds a level of poignancy I’m not sure anyone expected.
Anyhow, Matt’s video tells a far better story of all this than I can. Please see his film below, and visit his website. And do stay in touch with the Wide Open Walls project via their blog and Facebook page – part two is coming this June…
Continuing on from our recent interview with Eelus, the curator of Wide Open Walls, today we feature an interview with the brains behind the whole project (and magus of Makasutu and Ballabu amongst other things), Lawrence Williams. We spoke to Lawrence before the event about the not-inconsiderable task of assembling 8 street artists of such renown in The Gambia and hwat he envisaged for the project. That they produced such a brilliant collection of installations is testament both to the artist’s tenacity and to Lawrence’s drive. We find out here the trials and tribulations and the hopes for next year’s project – which is already halfway to fruition!
Lucy McLauchlan at work. Image by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/eelus/5123518962/in/pool-1581914@N22/}Eelus{/link}
TGB: So from this distance, how did you feel the whole project went?
Lawrence: On the whole I think it was a great success. The village of Kubuneh has been changed in such a massive way, and to see the reaction of the villagers, from the Elders down to the children was fantastic. The whole village turned out on the final day to show their support, and there were speeches from the elders, dancing and drumming and a general air of excitement about what had happened to their village. Everyone was so proud of what had been achieved there, and also the fact that their sleepy back water village was on the map finally, not just in The Gambia, but around the world people know the name of Kubuneh. It was a really special end to the project.
TGB: Do you think you and the artists achieved everything you set out to achieve? Would you do anything different next time?
Lawrence: A lot of amazing work went up in a fairly short space of time, but the heat was a constant factor that the whole team was battling against. It would have been nice to have got greater coverage in the village, but it was just not possible in the conditions that we had. We had a lot of villagers coming up to us asking to have their compounds painted. Bushdwellers are going to try to get back to Kubuneh every couple of weeks to keep painting, and I know Lucy and Matt are looking to come back early next year to continue the job that they started.
I learnt a lot this year, not just about the conditions and time of year to run the project, but also about what the artists needed to get the job done, and also what was expected back at base. Unfortunately James my business partner had a nasty bout of malaria 2 days into the project, which left me trying to run the lodge, make sure the artists were taken care of, trying to get paint on the walls as half of Bushdwellers and making sure James took his medication and saw the Dr. twice a day. There were a couple of people on the team who failed to take this into account and as a result I got more pressure than was needed, but you live and learn. Next year I will make sure I don’t leave myself vulnerable in any way. It was the first year, so you expect problems. Year two will be bigger and better and nothing will be left to chance! On the whole though everyone involved really got into the project and gave 100% to the village, which was the whole point of the project.
The kids of Kubuneh admire Xenz's birds. Image by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/eelus/5122913583/in/pool-1581914@N22/}Eelus{/link}
TGB: How did the people in the villages respond to the presence of the artists? Did they get much involved with the creation of the pieces?
Lawrence: From the moment we arrived in Kubuneh, we were greeted by the Village Development Committee, who assigned people from the village to help each of the artists out while we were there. We were all made to feel so welcome in the village that it actually went way beyond my expectations of what to expect. I must admit that I was expecting some resistance, but we encountered zero.
Xenz got the kids painting before he had even done a piece himself, and Lucy made friends with a family and young girl that was amazing to see. The excitement from the kids at the workshops was amazing. Eelus and Xenz went to a school in Makumbaya village and spent the day showing kids how to stencil and free hand graffiti, and Lucy, Matt and Njogu went to the school in Kubuneh. Lucy got the kids painting self portraits on the wall of the school. It looks fantastic!!!
TGB: What about practically – in terms of the paint and the environment etc: will the installations fade considerably over time? How do you feel about that?
Lawrence: In the African sun the paint will fade over time, but that is the case with anything. We are going to keep running the project and eventually we will return to each village to repaint, when they are starting to not look so good. Sabotaz use all natural ingredients in their paint, and we are keeping all the empty paint canisters which we plan to recycle in the future, and maybe even use to make a lodge out of! Also the amount of paint that went on to some of the compounds, will definitely help to protect the mud walls. Some of the compounds will not outlast the paint on them. Bushdwellers painted a wall in Kubuneh 2 years ago, and when we returned the wall had already fallen down! It is sad to see the decay, but hopefully money will be generated through this project, that will go back into the village as a whole, which will help to increase the living standards of all the people that live there, including the houses that they live in. There are quite a few buckets of paint left from the Sabotaz donation, and it was the wish of all the artists that we donate the paint to the village, so that they can add some protection to their houses.
Fire nymph by Eelus; background by Broken Crow Mike. Image by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/eelus/5123518962/in/pool-1581914@N22/}Eelus{/link}
TGB: What of the project’s legacy, both in terms of what it may have done for the villages and the people involved, and for The Gambia in general? Will it be something visitors to Makasutu can get to see easily?
Lawrence: Hopefully everyone involved in the project will have gained some knowledge and inspiration from their time in Africa, and will continue to spread the word of The Gambia and also Wide Open Walls where ever they may be in the world. I am excited to see how this experience will influence the artists work to come in the future. Logan Hicks produces work based on his previous travel experience, and then takes those pieces to the next destination that he goes to paint in. Really looking forward to see the results of that.
As for the village, we now need to start raising money so the villagers can see that there is a benefit other than just having pretty walls. Eelus has said that he will produce a print of one of his pieces that he did here, and donate a portion of the money to the Ballabu Project. I hope that this will inspire some of the other artists to do similar things. Xenz painted two canvases at a reception that the GTA / Kairaba Hotel threw for the artists. Those will be auctioned off in the future, probably in the uk, as we are hoping to get them shipped back for an exhibition of some sorts at the Eden Project. We are also looking at getting post cards printed, and T shirts made to sell to the visitors that come to Kubuneh. Makasutu are about to start linking Kubuneh in to their day excursion, where an amount of money will be given to the Ballabu Project for every tourist that goes to the village.
I think The legacy for The Gambia is going to be incredible. Our small nation is becoming known for street art around the world, and hopefully we can start to encourage tourists to come here and watch the artists at work. There are other festivals in Europe that do something similar. We are also looking to bring bands over to play at the same time, and also possibly link it in with a tattoo convention. All on a small scale to start off with but from small seeds big Baobab trees grow!
Year Two is already in the planning stages. It will be in June 2011, when the climate is a lot more friendly to artists. We have a couple of names interested from South Africa. Check out www.writeonafrica.com This is Ricky Lee Gordon’s (street name Freddy Sam) amazing project and he is now on board for 2011, and has suggested some incredible artists already. I am excited to link South Africa with The Gambia, and start to make Wide Open Walls more of an African event in the future. This year we had an amazing group of artists, but it was all UK/USA based. It will be nice to mix it up a bit in the years to come, and see how the different continents can inspire each other!
I would like to thank ALL of the artists that were involved this year, sorry if things did not run as smoothly as they should have but things will be better next time around. I hope that all of you return to The Gambia in future years to take part in WOW again, it was a pleasure to meet you all and to get a chance to work alongside the best in the business. It was inspiring to say the least!
And so it came to pass that the first Wide Open Walls project came to a close, and returned 8 tired, weathered street artists, heads abuzz with memories, to their home countries for a much needed rest and a bath. They left behind, shimmering in the Gambian heat, some excellent art pieces – all adorning the outsides of houses, of mud huts and compound walls; and all a work of collaboration – with the people of Kubuneh village and with the harsh unforgiving environment.
Such is the nature of the project that the ideal would be to stumble across these installations unawares. You have to wonder how you might think of them out there in the Gambian bush: as spontaneous creations, primitive art forms, as a product of the environment? As it stands though, anyone can venture upriver from Mandina and see the paintings in situ. And as the project already has a tentative schedule for next year, who know where it is all going to lead?
TGB: So from this distance, how did you feel the whole project went?
Eelus: I feel the project went great. We faced daily challenges of all kinds but the team took everything in their stride and produced amazing work under difficult and unpredictable conditions. The people of Kubuneh village seemed happy and excited about why we were there and the art we were producing, the only down side was that we just didn’t have the time or the manpower to cover more wall space and keep everyone happy. But we did the best we could in the time we had.
TGB: Do you think you achieved everything you set out to achieve?
Eelus: I think the artists went above and beyond what was expected of them. The village has new life breathed into it that will amaze tourists if they make the effort to go and see for themselves, and so in turn sustainable tourism will be encouraged within the village. The artists have done their part of the job but the project isn’t over. The organisers of the project need to continue their effort and assist the village in creating revenue from the new found fame that has fallen onto Kubuneh.
A lion, waits
TGB: How did the people in the villages respond to your presence? Did they get involved with the creation of the pieces?
Eelus: They welcomed us with open arms on a daily basis and made us feel relaxed and at home. The only problems we encountered were down to lack of man power and organisation, if we had more of each, we’d have been able to cover more walls and keep more of the villagers happy. Because of course, if you paint one house, the house next door is jealous and wants something, and then their neighbour wants a piece painted and so on. So in that respect the pressure was on, but I think ultimately the villagers new we were there working for the good of the entire village.
Lucy McLauchlan at work
TGB: What did you think of The Gambia – was it what you expected? Is it somewhere you’d like to return to? (Perhaps for a holiday, and when it’s not quite so hot!)
Eelus: Yeah, the heat was insane. I don’t think I’ve sweated so much in my life. I enjoyed my time in the Gambia, the majority of the people I met were very friendly and welcoming, the main draw for me was the nature and wildlife. The bird life was stunning and you were constantly surrounded by interesting bugs and creatures. I’m not sure if I’d return, simply because the world is a big place and I feel I’ve seen very little. Gambia is now ticked off the list so it’s time to move on.
TGB: What of the project’s legacy, both in terms of what it may have done for the villages and the people involved, and for The Gambia in general?
Eelus: Well hopefully the art in Kubuneh will succeed in bringing tourists to take a look for themselves and help the locals improve their financial situation which ultimately filters down to the younger generations as well as hopefully helping the school and medical centre. I hope the project continues and goes from strength to strength and takes art to the walls of other surrounding villages of the Ballabu to help them in the same way.
Thanks again to Eelus for answering these questions. Here’s to next year’s endeavours. See below for a Flickr slideshow of some images from this year’s event – include photographs from Eelus, Broken Crow, Logan Hicks, Ian Cox and more.
Thanks again to Eelus for taking the time to answer these questions – you can see more of his work on his website, and over at his very fine blog. And a reminder that you can keep up with the latest project news at the Wide Open Walls Facebook page.
Firestarter by Eelus
The Gambia Blog (hereafter TGB): Could you tell us a bit about how you came to be involved with the guys at Makasutu, the Wide Open Walls project, and what it entails?
Eelus (hereafter, E): I was approached by Lawrence who’s the brains behind the Wide Open Walls project and one of the 2 founding members of Makasutu. His idea was to bring a small handful of artists to the Gambia to transform some of the local villages into a large open air gallery, with large murals and other pieces painted in and around the areas to not only encourage tourism but to also work alongside the locals, especially the kids, and get them involved through workshops.
I new immediately that this was going to be a great project, the likes of which don’t fall into your lap very often, if ever. So I suggested to Lawrence that he let me hand pick the other artists to be involved, he amazingly agreed and I got to work. I approached each artist for a number of reasons; their style is not only strong and individual, but would fit this kind of environment perfectly, and each artist was known to be passionate, hard working and above all else, a good person to be around.
TGB: Have you, or any of the other artists, been to The Gambia before? Do you know much about the place?
E: I’ve never been and I can’t speak for anyone else in the project. I’m currently spending time researching the local culture so I can try and work that into the pieces I produce.
Skipper, by Eelus from his recent Brooklyn show
TGB: Is the idea of being involved with something so original and on a vast scale such as this daunting or exciting right now?! You’ve said a significant portion of your work is now studio-based – are you looking forward to working in the open air again?
E: It’s a good balance of fear and excitement, which I think is good, keeps you on your toes and gives you respect for the job at hand. But yes, I’m extremely excited, I can’t wait to get out there. I’m a huge nature lover as well as a keen photographer so there will be all kinds of things going on out there to look forward to.
Even though I’ve been mainly painting inside on canvas and other materials, I’m no stranger to producing much larger works on walls both inside and out, but painting the walls of a mud hut in Africa is certainly going to be a new challenge.
TGB: The styles of the various artists involved are all quite different, and at various times have courted controversy – how do you see these styles combining within the project?
It was important for me to make sure every artist involved had a very different style than the next. I think the mixture of styles will give the project huge scope and appeal to many different people and will make the overall environment look fresh and exciting.
Street art at Makasutu. Image by {link:http://photos-tell-stories.tumblr.com/}Helen Jones{/link}
TGB: I’m intrigued by the workshop element of Wide Open Walls – could you tell us a bit about what this will involve?
E: Both myself and Lawrence realized the importance of involving the kids as once the artist have been and gone, it’s them who will be left behind with the work, it’s their homes we’re painting on and around. It’s a perfect opportunity to offer insight and education to those who may have never considered art as a way of expressing themselves. So we’ll be doing what we can to allow them to be involved through the use of workshops, which will hopefully inspire them to continue creating art once we’ve gone.
TGB: And what do you hope for in terms of a legacy for the Ballabu project?
E: I hope the project Lawrence and James is running continues to protect the forests, wildlife and people of the Ballabu area. I hope that through increased tourism through projects such as Wide Open Walls, a better education and life in general will be possible for the future generations living in that area and above all else I just hope that the local villagers will enjoy us being there as we paint their homes and provide inspiration for the new generations of artists growing up there.
Well now, this is incredibly exciting. Lawrence Williams, founder, designer and proprietor of the magnificent ecological and cultural project at Makasutu, and of the wonderful river lodges at Mandina has a new venture. Lawrence, a keen artist himself, has been working with local artists on a project called Bushdwellers for a number of years and has always wanted to expand the project into something more, something lasting that could both function as a valid art installation in itself and at the same time promote The Gambia as a tourist destination. The basic idea was to turn some the village of Kubuneh within the Ballabu area into a living art project. Lawrence spoke with renowned street artist Eelus and suddenly he had himself a curator – the first curator of Wide Open Walls… So from 12th-26th October, 8 of the world’s leading street artists (Eelus himself, Logan Hicks, C215, Will Barras, Broken Crow [John Girder & Mike Fitzsimmons], Lucy McLauchlan and Ben Eine will be in residence within the Makasutu region turning a Gambian village into an art installation. Click on the individual artists to see some of their work and read on to find out more. Oh, and follow the Wide Open Walls’ Facebook page for up to date information.
Many thanks to Lawrence who took the time to answer some of our questions about what sounds like a fantastic project.
The river lodges at Mandina
The Gambia Blog (hereafter TGB) You guys have been a presence in The Gambia for a good 15 years now – could you tell us a bit about how you came to the place and what you’re currently up to?
Lawrence Williams (hereafter LW):
I originally came to The Gambia in 1992, looking for a piece of land on the beach to build a surf camp, but quickly realised that there was no real surf to talk of. I was tagging along with James, who is my uncle through extended family and his friend Bill who was going to be his business partner on a project in The Gambia. We travelled the whole country, North and South bank and on Christmas eve James and myself found Makasutu by dug-out canoe and decided to do a project together. We originally bought 4 acres of land on the bend of a river which we now call base camp. The original plan was to build a small back-packers lodge. We returned to the UK for 2 months, and when we arrived back in The Gambia over 200 palm trees had been cut down in the land surrounding our fence. We reported this to the authorities and the tribal owners of the area and they suggested if we wanted to protect the land that we bought it and fenced it. 4 acres has now turned in to 1750 acres that we are now the custodians of.
Having such a large area of land we are forever juggling new projects with maintenance and general up keep of the forest. We are in the process of building a 3 storey tower at Base Camp, which will eventually link to a network of towers across the river, joined by suspension bridges. This is the first phase of a canopy walk way that we want to build through the forest, linked to zip lines etc. We want to make Makasutu more of an adventure! We also now have a small piece of land on the beach, which happens to have the only descent wave in the Gambia right in front. I finally get my surf camp!
Village elder, Makasutu area
TGB:You’ve been working on the Ballabu project in conjunction with the Eden Project – how did this come about and how is the project going overall?
LW: In 2004 we were asked by the United Nations World Tourism Authority (UNWTO) to present Makasutu as a case study to Governments around Africa as part of their S.T.E.P program (sustainable tourism to eliminate poverty) and spent most of that year travelling to seminars. Makasutu is a private business, but we have always tried to involve the local communities as much as possible. The idea for the Ballabu Conservation Project came out of the seminars we presented at, and a desire to create a protected area that surrounded Makasutu but was 100% community owned. We decided on an 85 sq. kilometre area, incorporating 14 villages with roughly 100,000 people. We went about getting the support of the Chiefs of all the villages, and eventually signed a MOU with the blessing of all 14 villages. Once it was all set up, the project stalled because we did not know which way to push it.
A friend of mine was tour manager for the band Muse, and introduced us to them. In our off time, James and I would travel all over the world following Muse, going to festivals with them and generally having an experience that was the total opposite of our lives in Africa. In 2006 we approached Land Rover who lent us a brand new top of the line Range Rover Sport to take to Europe to drive between the festivals that the band were playing. The second to last festival was a show at the Eden Project. For many years people had been suggesting that we introduce Makasutu to Eden and see their response. I must admit, if it was not for the fact that Muse were playing there, we would probably of never made the effort to visit Eden. Why go all the way to Cornwall to visit a forest in captivity when i live in one already? On the day of the show, arriving at the Eden Project we were both blown away by the place. If you have not been, you are missing out on something very special, and quite possibly one of the man made wonders of the world!
We spent the entire time that Muse were on stage talking to management, security guards, beer sellers and we got the same response from all of them. They all loved their jobs and were so excited to be part of the Eden team. It was such a great atmosphere there that we just lost ourselves in the biome instead of watching the band. One of the management team gave us a number to call the next day, and by 5 o’clock the next afternoon we already had a commitment from Eden that they would send someone down to see our project. We hear a lot of talk from people, saying they will get involved and pledging their support, but nothing comes out of it. 6 weeks later we were at Banjul International Airport picking up the Curator of the Tropical Biome Mr Don Murrey and his fiance Beki.
That was the beginning of a very special relationship between Makasutu Wildlife Trust, Ballabu Conservation Project and the Eden Project. Don and his team have visited The Gambia on quite a few occasions now, as well as organising a trip here with a group of Friends Of Eden, which Don was the main guide. But the real compliment was when Don offered us a permanent exhibit for the Ballabu in the Tropical Biome. We thought he was joking at first, but true to his word the exhibit is now in place and viewed by roughly 1.5 million people a year! We are also working with 5 schools within the Ballabu on a project that Eden initiated called Gardens For Life. Gambia Experience have been working with us and Eden on the project since it’s creation, and have been very generous in their support with flight tickets, publicity etc, and also they shipped all of the artefacts for the display at Eden, that were sourced within the Ballabu area.
TGB: The art project sounds like a fantastic idea – could you tell us a bit about how it came into being and what it entails?
'Daiyanteh' (Whispering) by Njogu Touray
LW: A couple of years ago i started working with the renowned Gambian artist Njogu Touray, on a street art project under the name of ‘Bushdwellers’. I went to art college before studying architecture and then film and television set design at university, and always wanted to paint again but never found the time. I have been a big fan of graffiti since i first saw it in NYC in the early eighties, and messed around with it for a while as kid. When i first became aware of Banksy, his work ignited something inside me that made we want to stop procrastinating and get out there and do it myself.
Bushdwellers started out painting walls in some of the villages around Makasutu. We would go out every Sunday and paint during the day, asking the compound owners if it was ok to paint their building. This then led on to us painting canvases during the rainy season, which has been our main focus during the last year.
The concept for Wide Open Walls – Gambia was adapted from an idea of a music festival that we had been trying to get off the ground for the last 10 years, but with no luck. The aim was to encourage bands to come and play in the Ballabu area, working with local musicians and trying to create something new by mixing the cultures.
Last November i sent a late night Julbrew (beer) inspired email to the website of one of my favourite artists Eelus, and never expected to get a reply. A few days later i got an email back saying he was interested in the idea and could i give him some more info! Eelus got behind the project instantly, and used his little black book of artist friend contacts to put together a group of some of the top artists in the world to sign up for the project as well. We only have 8 lodges at Mandina, so that was how we chose the number of artists, one for each lodge! So Eelus is the curator of the first ever Wide Open Walls – Gambia.
The plan is to Paint an entire village in the Ballabu area, every building. The village we have chosen is called Kubuneh, and is linked by river to Makasutu. The artists will travel every day by boat to go and do their thing.
High Hopes 1, by Eelus
TGB: What about the logistics of it – in terms of organising the 8 artists, flying them in etc: has it been a bit of a slog?!
The logistics have been a bit of a nightmare. We have 4 artists coming from the UK, One coming from France and 3 coming from the USA, and flights are not cheap! Gambia Experience have sponsored the flights coming from the UK. Phewwww huge sigh of relief, and a BIG BIG thank you. We are waiting to hear back From Royal Air Maroc on the flights from the USA, and Brussels Airlines on the flight from France. Also, getting the materials that are needed to complete the project has been tough. One of the artists coming from the USA, Logan Hicks very generously used up all his good will with a company based in Greece called ‘Sabotaz’ who produce a very high quality graffiti spray paint. Sabotaz have donated 1000 cans of paint for the project, as well as a number of bucket type paints. The logistics of getting a hazardous material from Greece to Gambia has been a headache. I would like to thank Sandra at Sabotaz for all of her hard work to make this happen, she was working night and day right up to the last minute before she left to go on holiday! Turns out the paint had to come overland to the UK from Greece, where Redcoat, who are the main shipping company between the Uk and Gambia, have sponsored the shipping to get it to Africa. It sailed a few days ago, so the project will have paint!!! Thanks to Lloyd at Redcoat for all his help on this as well. Much appreciated. Farma at Discovery tours has donated the use of her vehicles for a week of the project, and Malleh and Africa Adventure Tours for donating his vehicles for a week. Gerard at the 5 star kairaba Hotel has offered the use of the luxurious Jamma Hall for a closing ceremony/exhibition.
TGB:And what of integrating their varying styles within the project as a whole? Or is that part of the fun?
LW: There is a wide range of styles within the artists that are coming over, and i think that adds to the fun. Broken Crow’s animal/human hybrids, C215′s portraits and Lucy McLachlan’s faces and birds all lend itself to the environment already, and Eelus will come up with something exciting that fits the setting i am sure. I am excited to see what Logan comes up with. His work is very much a product of the environment that he lives in, NYC and very urban. I think he will surprise people with his incredibly complex stencils. Eine is very much in the old school style, doing lettering like no one else can, with a mixture of stencil and freehand can use, and Will Barras creates multi layered textures that boarder on being abstract, that will look stunning in the village setting. The tough part now is having to paint alongside the worlds best! It is going to be a humbling experience for Bushdwellers! I am excited to see some collaborations coming out of this. 2 weeks is a long time to have all these artists in one place, it will be fun to see how the separate pieces will integrate into the village setting and into each other.
Installation in Wisconsin, 2008 by Broken Crow
TGB: As a genre Street Art has something of a ‘reputation’ – how do you think the concepts involved will sit within the overall Gambian culture and political situation?
LW: Street art does have quite a reputation, mainly because of the fact you are painting on someones property that does not want it done. We started this project to give art to the villages, and to hopefully brighten peoples lives in a small way. The villages are fully behind the project and are excited for it to happen. They wont be trying to scrub it off the walls the next day! As far as the political aspect of street art, i don’t think any of the artists are here to make any political statement. This is about giving something to Africa and also showcasing this type of art to people who have never experienced anything like it. The artists are all Ambassadors representing their countries and profession, and i have spoken to them all by email and they are all excited to be coming to Africa. The Government here in The Gambia are fully supporting the project, the Gambia Tourism Authority on behalf of the Ministry Of Tourism and Culture have created a task force to make sure that everything runs smoothly, and are helping out on so many levels. Big thanks to Binta Jobe the Director General for all her support and encouragement, and also to all of her team especially Fatou Beyai and Lamin Saho. The project has been put to the National Environment Agency to get their support as well. His Excellency President Jammeh is a big supporter of art in The Gambia, and has been supporting and encouraging Njogu to keep striving forward in his work for years. We are hoping to make him the Patron of the event!
TGB: And what of the project’s legacy – where do you see it say 1/5/10 years from now?
We are hoping that Wide Open Walls – Gambia will become a yearly event. There are 14 villages in the Ballabu area that all need painting, so that is the next 13 years taken care of already! Next year we would like to open it up and encourage people to travel from all over the world to watch the event take place. We are trying to encourage responsible tourism within the Ballabu Conservation Project, and we plan to start to run excursions through the area, ending up in Kubuneh village to see the living art village, with an entry fee being paid by everyone that goes to see the art, this way the villages will benefit directly. Each year the area will become more impressive, and we believe we can get this on the international art calendar of events not to be missed.
Eden Project are keen on having an exhibition there of the work that gets created, and also the artists will be doing workshops in the schools for the kids to learn about art. We will be providing the kids with canvases that can be shipped back to the UK and exhibited at eden along side work by the artists. Eventually we hope to have a body of work together that can be exhibited around the world, showcasing the artists over the years that have taken part in the project.
Massive thanks to Eelus for getting behind the project and adding more work to his already hectic schedule, and also to the artists who have agreed to come over and paint in Africa. Also Big thanks to Gambia Experience, the British High Commission Banjul, Sabotaz, Redcoat, Discovery Tours, Africa Adventure Tours, Kairaba Hotel, Marcel at Kombo Beach Hotel/Sitanunku Lodge and the Gambia Tourism Authority/Ministry of Tourism and Culture
Royal Air Maroc and Brussels Airlines we are waiting! Don’t miss out on being part of this ground breaking project!!!!
Thanks again to Lawrence for answering these questions. We wish the guys all the luck in the world with the project. Here’s hoping we can get out to see it!
For more information on the amazing work Lawrence and his business partner James English have achieved in The Gambia please see the video below.
