Nneka Ezemezue, The Vendors, detail, Lagos Biennial 2019.
Nneka Ezemezue, The Vendors, installation view, Lagos Biennial 2019.
Born Nigeria (1986) lives and works between Lagos, Nigeria and United Kingdom
The Vendors 2019
5 inkjet photographs
Courtesy of the artist
The Vendors series hones in on engrossed faces of daily readers of newspapers in Lagos, Nigeria. These readers – humorously, referred to as ‘Free Readers Association of Nigeria’ (FRAN) hangout at newsstands to peruse and debate newspaper headlines and articles. Hampered by their inability to purchase newspapers daily that cost as much as N250, these readers pay a paltry sum of N50 to read any newspaper of their choice. The public spaces where these readers converge, are mostly found at major bus stops, under bridges and points of intersections. This method of engaging the news promotes human interaction and brings information closer to the people therefore making them incubators of information/knowledge that helps to nurture the cultural, economic, social and political developments that challenge the way we think and live.
