The art community in Lagos is excited about the opening of ‘Sands of Time,’ an exhibition by the interdisciplinary collective Ala Praxis. The body of work was developed following the group’s three-month residency in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2023.
Responding to a curatorial prompt that encouraged critical inquiry into Tanzania’s ecological relations, Ala Praxis presents a contemplative and immersive experience that brings together installation, photography, sound, and video art.
Through this exhibition, Ala Praxis explores the rhythms of time, nature, and human interaction. Central to the show is a striking hourglass-inspired installation where sound and sand converge, prompting visitors to reflect on their personal and cultural relationships with time and value. The works extend into fabric and still imagery, revealing the echoes of environmental shifts on both natural, urban, and social systems. “What drew me to bring these works to Lagos was the stark yet subtle contrast between the people of Dar es Salaam’s relationship with their coastline and that of Lagosians. This conversation about systems of value, about land, water, and our interdependencies feels both urgent and necessary here.” — Obieze Chinyere, Curator
Ala Praxis is a research-driven collective dedicated to transforming ideas into practical realities. Their practice is grounded in principles of environmental sustainability, earth-centered technologies, and collaborative pedagogy. The collective is made up of artists and researchers: Philip Fagbeyiro, Noah Okwudini, Peace Olatunji, Omojadesola Olaniyan, Joshua Egesi, and Timilehin Osanyintolu. This exhibition invites audiences to slow down, listen, and engage not just with the works, but with the environments and relations they reflect.
Sands of Time by Ala Praxis Sands of Time by Nigerian Collective Ala Praxis has toured Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Dakar (Senegal) and has now come home to Lagos (Nigeria). In Sands of Time, Ala Praxis presents a body of work that showcases the grounding ethos of their manifesto: a pedagogy inspired by nature. In their hourglass inspired installation, sound and sand dialogue; inviting visitors to reflect on their relationship with time and value.
Additionally, the use of photography and fabric further explores how this connection impacts both nature and culture. Each photograph, supported by sound scape, hypnotically echoes the rhythms of the coastal city of Dar es Salaam. Together, they evoke a shared sensibility of the liminal nature which the ocean conjures for many African coastal cities. The photographs capture an essence within these landscapes and a transport of this essence, with quiet pessimism, to new functions and meanings. The water pools in puddles across scenes of Dar es Salaam’s mainland, and in the ruins of old coastal houses haunted by the phantoms of their former selves, an eerie suggestion that this essence may be seeking retribution emerges.
The photographs and the Kanga fabric draped from the ceiling dialogue as recordings of a present shaped by past memories and myths of the people of Tanzania. While the beach scenes communicate a tension between that which is orchestrated by Ala Praxis and human impulse, the subjects emerge not just as witnesses but also manifestations of our relationship with that which is valuable: playing, digging, commemorating, waiting. The central installation features an interactive hourglass. A deliberate space between its two halves echoes the beach’s horizon, contributing to the conversation with the immersive soundscape, the work is activated only through visitor interaction. As they pour sand into the top half of the hourglass, the soundscape unfurls, emphasizing the intentional act of maintaining the delicate relationship with nature. Ala Praxis have chosen plastic as the material for the hourglass. Plastic is a modern intruder on the beachfront. Difficult to recycle, its juxtaposition with sand and the sea within the gallery space confronts us with the challenge of reconciling extraction and consumption. Sand, the resource in this conversation, like the skyscrapers in the distance of the photographs of Ala Praxis, invites visitors to ponder what is sacrificed at the altar of human desire and how we might rethink our relationship with the coast.
No doubt, this research focused collective is transforming ideas into practical realities by developing projects that are rooted in the principles of environmental sustainability and Earth centered technology.
Members of Ala Praxis
Philip Fagbeyiro is a world builder and artist based in Lagos, Nigeria. He earned a Bsc in Architecture from the University of Lagos and uses his skills to create illustrative works that depict representative scenes of people interfacing with hypothetical future and past technologies. His interests lie in thinking about the near and far future of humanity and what we become afterwards. He has exhibited his work in several group exhibitions locally and abroad, such as the LagosPhoto Festival, and Remote Gallery in Toronto. He has also applied his talent for worldbuilding and storytelling to several cultural and curatorial projects such as the Guests for The Future installation at the 2023 Venice Biennale and the Woven Threads IV fashion showcase in Lagos.
Noah Okwudini is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and future synthesist, born in Warri and currently based in Lagos, Nigeria. With a BSc in Computer Science from NOUN, his practice consistently explores the intersection of art, science, and technology as a critical site for prototyping and imagineering alternative realities. Noah’s inquiry employs research, art thinking, and cultural organizing to document, conceptualize, and speculate, utilising formats such as photography, sound, performance, and new media, including creative coding. His work focuses on eco-cultural narratives, memory, spacetime, and changes within these contexts, with a current emphasis on African ways of knowing. As part of the collective Ala Praxis, he was a recipient of a S+T+ARTS Prize Africa Award of Distinction. His work has been exhibited at institutions including Harvard Divinity School and the University of Mainz. Furthering his engagement with future-oriented practices, he was also part of the inaugural cohort of Dreaming New Worlds by the Goethe-Institut. He is a current fellow of the Imora Fellowship by G.A.S Foundation and co-founder of Kuota Spacetime, an institution dedicated to play and research into community futurisms. His work is driven by a profound belief in the power of community and the potential to co-create desirable realities. Peace Olatunji Peace Olatunji (Dopay) is a Nigerian-born multi-disciplinary Artist with a background in Architecture. His artistic endeavors are dedicated to the intricate task of narrating diverse stories through a spectrum of mediums, ranging from traditional canvases to cutting-edge immersive reality experiences. Influenced by the nuances of contemporary art and the depth of classical literature and cinema, Peace seamlessly melds these inspirations to craft a uniquely compelling artistic voice. Peace eloquently showcases his unwavering commitment to Afro-futurism, a genre that envisions the future through the lens of African culture. His work transcends mere visual representation, delving into the profound realm of social dynamics within Nigeria. With an innate ability to synthesize complex ideas, his art serves as a conduit for insightful discussions on societal structures and their evolving complexities. His artistic pursuits are firmly anchored in Lagos, Nigeria, a dynamic cultural epicenter that provides a rich backdrop for his creative explorations. His unique background in Architecture infuses his artistic expression with a keen understanding of spatial dimensions and design principles, enabling him to craft compositions that resonate on both visual and intellectual levels.
Omojadesola Olaniyan is an artist, curator and anthropologist born and based in Lagos, Nigeria. She completed her BA (Hons.) in Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, focusing on museum studies and visual culture (2016-2021). She is also currently enrolled in the Applied Museum and Heritage Studies MA program at the Reinwardt Academy, Amsterdam. Jadesola Olaniyan’s curatorial experience is eclectic and extends from working on collections-based research projects to working on curatorial projects with artists and communities. Her curatorial perspective is shaped by theories of place, memory, and material culture. Her curatorial focus deals with documenting and mobilising knowledge beyond the gallery space and into the daily lives of artists and non-artists alike. This includes the use of traditional and accessible mediums that support experimental and collaborative approaches to art production.
Joshua Egesi aka Josh Egesi is a dynamic Nigerian design artist whose work bridges African heritage and contemporary innovation. With a background spanning painting, graphic design, and industrial design, Josh fuses tradition and technology to tell powerful cultural stories through furniture, lighting, digital art, and experimental instruments like the electric talking drum. At the heart of his practice is a commitment to preserving African narratives while pushing the boundaries of modern design. From bold installations to functional objects, his creations are emotionally resonant, visually striking, and culturally grounded. Josh’s work has earned global recognition, including the Fak’Ugesi Design Award (with the British Council), residencies at STARTS for Africa and Cité des Arts in Paris, and exhibitions at Salone del Mobile, Design Week Lagos, and Dreaming New Worlds at the Goethe-Institut. He has been featured in Wallpaper*, Dwell, BBC, and DW, among others. Through collaborations with artisans, mentorship programs, and advocacy, Josh champions cultural exchange and creative empowerment, establishing himself as a leading voice in Africa’s design renaissance Timilehin Osanyintolu Timilehin Oludare (b. 2002) is an experimental surrealist artist born in Ibadan, Nigeria. Art has always been a form of expressing feelings, reflections, observations, and curiosity. He has been experimenting with different media which we see in some of his mixed media pieces. Oludare tends to experiment with materials, sound, shapes, colors, and scent. He uses these mediums to create patterns and shapes with intention to portray the emotion and tension he is trying to visualize. Osanyintolu Oludare Timilehin has exhibited some of his work at Boomer Art Gallery (London, 2020), Nomascape project (Chicago, 2020) amongst others. He launched “WETIN DEY COOK”, a curatorial project by Lynhan Balatbat- Helbock at GAS Foundation (Lagos, 2022) as the first artist to cook for and share his works with the intimate gathering. His second show in Lagos was a celebration of one of his series of charcoal portraits at 16by16, curated by Tushar Hathiramani. He also showed work in Engage Space, (Lagos, 2022), AWCA (Lagos, 2022) and Tribe X (Lagos, 2022). This exhibition is supported by Goethe-Institut Nigeria.
