VASON - 3 groups, 1 mission

Any event with good wine and tasty finger food can't be all bad so maybe it's understandable that I'm really enthusiastic about VASON meetings. But there's of course more to these meetings than good wine and food. VASON, the Visual art society of Nigeria is a recently formed organization set up to develop art in Nigeria.

Collectors complain , and sometimes rightly, about the decline of visual art. Artists are not adventurous, it's always market themes and durbars, there's nothing really exciting… It's refreshing to find a group of people who are actually willing to do something about it. The organization has collectors, dealers , artists … I suppose anyone who's interested in art can be a member. The plan is to build a structure like The MUSON Centre. This structure will hold a permanent exhibition of high quality art, sort of like a contemporary art museum. It will also host exhibitions, talks , auctions and other art events. VASON will also find other ways to increase the visibility of Nigerian artists, encourage art excellence and increase art appreciation in Nigeria. If things work according to plan, and I think they will , this project will be one of the most influential cultural projects in Nigeria's history and will radically change Nigerian art.

But it is a difficult project and it will face all sorts of obstacles , financing for one. To succeed the members most see it as more than a project. They have to see it as a mission. And I think they do . Thankfully to the members can rely on the knowledge and experience of some really smart collectors like Sammy Olagbaju, Rasheed Gbadamosi and Yemisi Shyllon. The plans are underway to get a site for the building, to arrange an exhibition and an auction . Like all projects , there'll be teething problems , there'll be delays but they'll be done eventually.

My first VASON meeting was accidental. I'd gone to visit Sammy Olagbaju, the gracious VASON host and stayed on for the meeting. I found the talk exciting. But something else struck me. There was a sense of camaraderie between collectors, artists and dealers. It was one of those rare occasions where all three parties could meet and work together. Being an art dealer I know this is Haley's comet-type rare. Art dealers and artists rarely work together as a group. They usually bicker. Throw in collectors and you've got an even more uncomfortable mix . To the artist's and dealers, itll sem like a zero sum game. One party gets the collectors, the other party loses business. Here for the first time, at least as far as I know, all three parties were working together and in the process deepening their bonds. Maybe it was Olagbaju's excellent refreshment at work. I suspect it was much more than that. It must have been the opportunity to leave an indelible mark on the cultural landscape, a chance to do something truly