By Kelly Coffey
This fall, the Program of African Studies will release the video interview series “Parallel Perspectives.” With a focus on Africa and its diaspora, this program invites artists, curators, academics and educators to discuss topics in the arts: experiences, philosophies, contemporary practice, and current events.
Uche Okpa-Iroha and Benita Nnachortam host the series and have experienced the African art world from many perspectives. Uche Okpa-Iroha, doctoral student in art history at Northwestern. An accomplished photographer, and Founder and Director of Lagos-based informal photography school, The Nlele Institute. He is a founding member of the Nigerian photography group known as the Blackbox Photography Collective and a founding member of the Invisible Borders Trans-African photography travel group. Benita Nnachortam has recently obtained her masters in Art Administration from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is also an expert photographer, serving as official photographer at the Ogun State Governor’s Office. She is also the Founder of BenTeller Media and Creative Director at Kuta Arts Foundation.
In upcoming episodes, they talk with working artists about the ever-changing landscape of their practices, and curators about the unique challenges they face. For example, they speak with Jodi Minnis curator of TERN Gallery in the Bahamas, and the struggle to archive and preserve while located in a climate change vulnerable location. These videos can be viewed on the PAS Youtube channel.