Expanding Technologies Residency: Ibadan/Seattle Visual Arts Exchange is a collaboration between New Culture Studios, CoCA Seattle, and Wa Na Wari.

In a world with ever-deepening digital integration our vision of what technology is and where its influence will take us has steadily narrowed towards an emphasis on computerized novelty. Meanwhile, enduring technologies exist across histories, geographies, and ecosystems, new and old, providing additional possibilities for creating sustainable futures.

How can we expand our definition of technologies and locate diverse sites of innovation that deserve further exploration and understanding?

What are the cultural technologies, indigenous technologies, community-centric technologies, nature-based technologies, collaborative technologies and/or creative technologies that are relevant and applicable today?

The Expanding Technologies Residency is an invitation for one Ibadan-based artist and one Seattle-based artist to explore these themes during site-specific, collaborative programs created by community and artist-run artspaces in Ibadan, Nigeria and Seattle, USA.

One Ibadan-based artist in Seattle from: September 13th – October 3rd
Dates include Wa Na Wari’s Walk the Block and 1st Thursday exhibition at CoCA

One Seattle-based artist in Ibadan from: October 25th – November 14th
Dates include Lagos Art Week

Artists will complete their residency with an artist talk in their home communities

Submission info and link

The Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art (YSMA), in partnership with Ventures Platform, is pleased to announce the inaugural Ventures Platform–YSMA Futures Art Award—a first‑of‑its‑kind national commission supporting the creation of a permanent, public‑facing outdoor sculpture that explores how creativity and technology are shaping the future with the sum of N10m.

This landmark award invites artists to propose experiential, interactive, or innovation‑driven sculptures designed specifically for outdoor display on the Pan‑Atlantic University campus. The commissioned work should engage the public, respond to its environment, and spark meaningful reflection about the forces technological, cultural, environmental, and social reshaping our world.

Each year for the next three years, an artist or art collective will receive support to design, produce, and install a major outdoor artwork. The selected work will become part of YSMA’s growing public art landscape and will be experienced by students, researchers, visitors, and the wider community for years to come.

Eligibility

1. Open to individual Nigerian and non-Nigerian artists or art collectives legally based and able to work in Nigeria.
2. Applicants must demonstrate proven capacity to deliver large-scale outdoor sculptural projects within budget and timeline.
3. Emerging, mid-career, and established artists are all encouraged to apply.

Apply Here 

The Young Contemporaries Program is an initiative designed to support young artists. Through mentorship, immersive residencies, and curated exhibitions, the program aims to nurture artistic growth, explore innovative mediums and narratives, and elevate the contemporary art scene in Africa. Successful applicants will be invited to be part of a residency program led by notable international curators and mentors. The Residency is an intensive workshop program specially designed to guide and educate emerging artists on critical thinking as well as identifying and harnessing their talent.

Applications are open to artists from all over Africa

Submission info and link

The Dakar Biennale of Contemporary African Art, placed under the aegis of the Ministry in charge of Culture of the Republic of Senegal, is an international artistic event dedicated to contemporary visual arts, bringing together African artists and/or from the diaspora, as well as professionals of contemporary art from all continents. All seek to rethink our modes of living together, mutual aid, coexistence, and cohabitation not only among humans but also with the living world.

The 16th Dakar Biennale is devoted to the theme of “(Anti)fragility.” It brings together artists from across the African continent and its diasporas worldwide, including island and archipelagic contexts.

The Dakar Biennale has the following objectives:

• To support and foster creativity, promotion and dissemination of visual arts;
•  To promote African visual artists and/or those from the diaspora on the international
  stage;
• To strengthen the presence of contemporary African art on the international art
  market;
• To contribute to a better understanding of African artistic thought, to the development of craft professions and publications on art and contemporary African artists.

Deadline: 15 April to 15 June 2026

International exhibition of its sixteenth edition, scheduled from 19 November to
19 December 2026 in Dakar

Submission Info and Link

The Mali Art Prize is SERE’s annual award dedicated to supporting young, Nigeria-based contemporary artists and celebrating the rich cultural heritage of Africa.

“Mali” means “wealth” in Swahili  a meaning that sits at the heart of this initiative. The MALI Art Prize was born out of a desire to shift the lens through which African creativity is viewed, moving beyond outdated narratives to celebrate the richness, depth, and diversity of the visual culture emerging from Nigeria and the continent at large.

Prize: 1st Prize: $3,000 and exhibition, 2nd Prize: $1,500, 3rd Prize: $500

Deadline: June 3, 2026

Winners announced: July 8, 2026

Exhibition: October – November 2026

Eligibility Criteria

• Artists aged between 21 and 35
• Minimum of 3 years of practice
• Living and working in Nigeria
• Accepted mediums include painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, ceramics, and textiles. Excludes purely audio, video, time-based media, digital media, AI-generated media, installation or performance art.

Submission info & Link

About Organisation:  

1-98 Art Studio is a vibrant art space for young and emerging creatives in Lagos. Located in the iconic Fananda’s Tower on Lagos Island, a landmark of postcolonial architecture, the studio sits at the intersection of contemporary experimentation and cultural heritage.

Conceived as a dynamic incubator, 1-98 Art Studio fosters artistic growth through accessibility, sustainability, and intellectual exchange, offering an immersive environment where creative practice can thrive. The studio welcomes artists, curators, collectives, and the wider creative community to engage with its evolving programs. Follow us on social media for updates on residencies, artist highlights, and upcoming public programs.

About Organisation:  

Kuta Art Residency is an educational, in-person residency that brings together emerging artists from remote communities across Nigeria in Ogun State. The program provides a safe, supportive environment with access to art materials, mentorship, and educational resources. Over 4–12 weeks, residents develop their practices through thematic exploration and guidance from established artists. The residency culminates in exhibitions and public symposiums across Ogun State and neighbouring southwestern states. Rooted in cultural exchange and community engagement, Kuta Art Residency revitalises local cultural centres, centres youth as drivers of contemporary expression, and connects indigenous aesthetics to urgent social questions while imagining more inclusive artistic futures.

Open Call

The duration of each residency varies from person to person, they however typically range from two-weeks to as long as six months. Our Lagos location can house up to two residents at a time, while our Benin City location houses as many as twelve residents. Residency duration and provisions are typically agreed upon before the resident’s arrival.

We expect that our residents demonstrate eagerness in engaging specific cultural subjects and timely themes with far-reaching impacts. Our residencies are researched based and hope to provide our residents with a space in which they can hone their practice. As such, we do not require finished projects. Residents are however expected to close out their residency with a public presentation, hosted by Angels and Muse, in which they highlight their achievements during the residency. 

The research residency is ideal for artists, curators and writers who need time to continue work on an ongoing project or develop a new one provided they can demonstrate the research component of their work. The residency provides accommodation and a stipend to augment living expenses.

About Organisation 

Angels and Muse is a non-profit art organisation founded in 2018 by acclaimed artist and writer Victor Ehikhamenor to advance the frontiers of contemporary African art, literature, and cultural discourse. With a unique model that combines the rigour of an artist residency and the dynamism of a thought laboratory, Angels and Muse offers a diverse programme spanning workshops, mentorships, exhibitions, readings and talks to foster critical dialogue and support art practitioners in contemporary African art, literature and culture.

In 2024, Angels and Muse expanded to Benin City as part of our mission to foster artistic curiosity across Africa. We also maintain a strong community ethos, working closely with local artists, artisans, youth, and cultural custodians. At the same time, we remain globally connected, welcoming artists and intellectuals from across Africa and its diaspora to engage with the city’s rich cultural heritage and history.