Learning of the murder of pioneering Lagos art dealer Peter Areh three weeks ago opened our eyes to the newly spreading influence of the Western commercial art-dealing model, the one where professional footing is found by overwhelming a community, ostentatiously, with money. Areh’s background was in banking, and he singlehandedly brought rigor, profit, competitiveness and guarantees to the Nigerian contemporary art scene, yet he did not foster greed among its artists, or erect divisive boundaries in the art community. From his Pendulum Gallery’s mission statement: “We are not unaware of the vital role money can play in the dissemination of art, but we are at the same time wary of the dangers of hyper-commercialism. We believe that the pursuit of the gallery must transcend pecuniary interests if it must be able to fulfill its socialising role in the community.” Preposterously improbable words to see on a high-performance commercial gallery’s website. We hope Areh’s work will long continue.

ngrguardiannews.com