Of artists’ conspiracy, ghost-plagiarists

Irrespective of the context in which unauthorised ‘copying’ of art concept is defined, the mystery that shields identity of the forgers suggest that the plagiarists are some kind of spirits or ghost artists.

Clearly, these forgers are artists too – who dwell among their colleagues – but hardly get identified. Between artists who are victims of plagiarism and the gallery outlets, where such copied art pieces are exposed, there seems to be behind-the-scene ‘understanding’, after the storm that is made known to the public.

As much as the role of digital medium is no doubt culpable in aiding plagiarists’ skill, the internet, in recent years, has also been assisting in amplifying unathorised copy of artists’ works. In contemporary art appreciation and appropriation, digital medium has double edge roles in expanding an artist’s followership base and exposing the same artist to the hostile world of plagiarists.

At Art Dubai 2017, African artists boost sales

As the 11th edition of Art Dubai, in UAE came to a close, art from Africa made impressive business outing, adding to the unprecedented patronage at the fair.

Held at its usual venue, Madinat Jumeirah, the 2017 edition, recorded 28,000 visitors throughout the week. Among the 94 galleries from 43 countries were four diaspora representatives from London, U.K; Lisbon, Portugal; and Paris, France. The galleries showed artists from Nigeria, Cape Verde, Ethiopia and Mozambique Tafeta Gallery, London, which showed two Nigerian modernists, Ben Osawe and Muraina Oyelami made its debut at this year’s Art Dubai, leaving with sale of one of the works on display. Two days into the fair, director at Tafeta, Ayo Adeyinka disclosed that a painting by Oyelami, One Apartment was “shy of $10,000 to an Emirati collector.”

But what appeared like the most impressive outing for African art business at Art Dubai 2017 was achieved with the works of Ethiopian artist, Dawit Abebe.
Abebe’s paintings were “a great success” said the representing gallery, London-based Kristin Hjellengjerde. “The large ones by Dawit Abebe are priced at $30.000
and I pre sold 3 paintings by Dawit prior to his opening, they were priced at $15.000 each.” In fact, the founder and Head Curator Kristin Hjellengjerde, via email disclosed that “we sold out the booth.”


Lisbon, Portugal-based Perve Galeria showed Cape Verde modernist, Manuel Figuira, b.1938 and Mozambican, Ernesto Shikhani. “Figueira sold between 3.600 USD and 7.500 USD while Shikhani’s were between 3.800 USD and 8.500 USD,” stated Nuno Espinho da Silva | Production Director at Perve Galeria. “There are also interested clients in the Manuel Figueira tapestry (45.000 USD) and Ernesto Shikhani canvas 28.500 USD.”
For ArtTalks, based in Egypt, the 11th Art Dubai was the gallery’s best outing at the Modern space. “Art Dubai 2017 is our first ever art fair, and we’re delighted with how it’s gone – we’ve sold 5 works, ranging from 1500 to 80,000 dollars,” said Cherine Chafik of ArtTalks.

Chimamanda Adichie makes list of 50 world leaders

Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie has been named amongst the 50 greatest world leaders in the 2017 Fortune magazine ranking.

The ‘Half of a yellow sun’ writer was ranked at number 42 on the list with Chicago Cubs baseball team president Theo Epstein at number one.

Business mogul Jack Ma of AliBaba group of companies appears at number two and Catholic leader Pope Francis is in third place for his social integration projects as a clergy.

Terracotta Warriors’ museum in battle over copyright with Chinese amusement park

Response is an unusual effort by a state institution to assert copyright protection in cultural properties

Terracotta Warriors’ museum in battle over copyright with Chinese amusement park
The Terracotta Warriors’ museum has accused a Chinese amusement park of violating its copyright by displaying unauthorised replicas.




(Photo: Tuul and Bruno Morandi/Alamy)

The museum in China that oversees the Qin Tomb sites near Xi’an and its famous Terracotta Warriors is asserting its copyright in the army of funerary sculptures and their names at home and abroad. In February, the Emperor Qin Shihuang Mausoleum Site Museum in north-central China accused an amusement park that features replica warriors of violating its registered copyright. The response is an unusual effort by a state institution to assert copyright protection in cultural properties.

Four virgins in search of suitors

Several centuries ago, in a remote village somewhere in Africa, a strict but handsome widower, a
hunter by occupation, was said to have four daughters who were adjudged to be the most beautiful virgins in the entire land. Jealous and worried that other men would take his beautiful daughters, the brave hunter took the girls to live in the middle of a remote forest, where he spent all his life hunting to feed them and driving away male trespassers. But men were not deterred.

The equally brave ones from far and near teamed up and came on expeditions for the beautiful virgins hidden in the middle of the forest by the brave hunter. However, the more they came, the more they died. They were either caught by the poisonous arrowheads of the vicious hunter or by the numerous traps he concealed at different strategic spots on the  footpaths. Occasionally, those who sucessfully evaded the hunter’s arrows and traps had to contend with his fierce and great swordsmanship which the virgins watched with alarm. Suffice it to say that no man who had ever embarked on an expedition to the forest in desire of the brave hunter’s beautiful virgins had ever returned home alive. One day, the brave hunter died.