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GALLERY WATATU IS NOT CLOSING DOWN Last week in Nairobi (November 17-20), I was meeting with various artists, gallerists, patrons, writers, many of whom voiced their concerns about the misinformation in a recent Kenyan newspaper article. They were also upset by its disrespectful tone which, in the words of the well-known painter Joseph ‘Cartoon’ Kamau, “contradicted the spirit of Gallery Watatu” and was unduly personal about the owner’s well-being. The text by David Okwembah who is not an art critic was headed “ART INSTITUTION / Last show for Gallery Watatu / Standard Street icon faces eviction for rent default after 41 years in the art business” (Sunday Nation, Nairobi, November 8, 2009). On November 9th, the article was posted verbatim on h-arts with the inaccurate title “Gallery Watatu is closing”, thus contributing to what appears to be ‘fitina’, in Swahili for talk which causes discord. If the title had been punctuated with a question mark, the article would have been less irksome, given that the future of this venerable institution has been a recurring topic since the passing of Ruth Schaffner 13 years ago, after which her widower Mr Adama Diawara assumed its ownership. Even a brief visit to the gallery shows that Schaffner’s vision of expressive Kenyan art is being sustained, in what is still the best viewing space in the capital; open seven days a week, daily 9am-6pm and on Sundays 10am-4pm. Particularly given the expansion of contemporary art in Kenya, this accomplishment is cause for celebration rather than “impromptu”, improvised if careless journalism. Watatu’s long-time manager Mr Morris Amboso stated that the flagship Gallery is neither closing down nor up for sale. He said he was puzzled by the report, how it was made; he said that the sources were second-hand and that Okwembah had not tried to interview or fact-check with either himself or the landlord. Furthermore, the Nation newspaper sent a familiar photographer to the gallery to take Amboso’s picture with the current seasonal, group exhibition. Cartoon Joseph commented he felt “something was totally wrong in the press” when he read the article that accompanied that photograph. In the wake of the article, Amboso said “enormous support” was forthcoming from artists and collectors, which I also experienced as the mutuality of the contemporary art community. At Watatu along with Amboso and Cartoon, I met another journalist Waigwa Kiboi. These men are long-term friends of Adama Diawara whom they said had never ever agreed “to face the press”, because he is francophone and also reticent in speaking about art. They affirmed his determination to maintain Schaffner’s Watatu. I was also briefed similarly by Gallery-founder Jony Waite who continues to exhibit her own work there; I could not reach Jak Katirakawe. Only two expatriate Americans, who had believed Okwembah’s report, opined Watatu’s closure would be “inconsequential”. Meanwhile, accurate, breaking news concerns changes that are underway at Nairobi’s largest contemporary art gallery - RaMoMA – which is about to announce its new CEO while redefining its curatorial strategy. There is yet to be an official announcement. Also newsworthy at the National Museum of Kenya is a ground-breaking group show of digital art from the continental collection of Congolese Sindika Dokolo which is being hosted by the Amnesia project of Jimmy Ogonga who is collaborating with uber-curator Simon Njami. H-AfrArts H-Net Network for African Expressive Culture E -Mail: H-AFRARTS@H-NET.MSU.EDU http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~artsweb/
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