Emeka Ogboh
Nigerian videomaker
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biography
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Interview:10 questions
1. Tell me something about your life and the educational background
I am a multimedia artist living and working in Lagos Nigeria. I trained at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where I obtained a Fine and Applied arts degree with a major in Graphics. Currently, I am working mainly with video, sound and photography.
2. When, how and why started you filming?
Previously I had only been working with photography and motion graphics (flash) as a graphic designer. I started filming out of curiosity, to experiment with something different…time frame works kind of appealed to me. My first video was in 2008 at the Fayoum Winter academy in Egypt, where I participated in the Media class. Video and Audio production were the topics treated.
3. What kind of subjects has your films?
My subjects are chosen from my environment, my environment being any place I’m currently operating from. For now it’s Lagos. I am also planning to explore some of the works of legendary Nigerian musician Fela, focusing on his interpretation of identity as a point of departure.
4. How do you develop your films, do you follow certain principles, styles etc?
My video pieces are mostly minimalist. I like the brevity of images, the simplicity of few objects of interest, and what I consider to be the cryptic metaphors that do not easily yield when one is working with fewer visual objects. I keep my message simple and straightforward, but would require the audience to pay close attention for cues that would then allow them to appreciate the work. I also pay a lot of attention to the audio aspects of the video.
5. Tell me something about the technical equipment you use.
Currently I am shooting videos with a Canon 7D camera and recording sounds with an M-Audio MicroTrack II portable recorder. For editing I use Final Cut pro and Adobe Soundbooth.
6. The field of “art and moving images†(one may call it videoart or also differently) is representing an important counter position in contemporary art. Tell me more about your personal position and how you see the future of this field (your personal future and the future of “art and moving imagesâ€)
I see video art and other time based works as a genre here to stay, I don’t necessarily see it as a counter position in contemporary art, but as complementing a glut of visuality already existing.
I am invested in creating and enhancing a videoart language that speaks to my immediate reality but with an international frame of reference.
7. How do you finance your films?
Self
8. Do you work individually as a video artist/film maker or do you work in a team?
I work individually as a video artist but I am looking forward to working in a team. We recently set up the Video Art Network Lagos and will soon be collaborating with other Nigeria artists interested in video art.
9. Who or what has a lasting influence on your film/video making?
Lagos has provided an important fodder for my work. It is a resource from which I draw from and which I constantly interrogate. Lagos influences my work; its people, the culture, the synergy and energy, I try to translate and interpret in my videos.
10. What are your plans or dreams as a film/video maker?
Video art is still in its infancy here in Nigeria and as one of the pioneer artist working in this medium; I am interested in promoting video art in Nigeria, and pushing the boundaries of video as an art form. Hopefully in the future it will be fully appreciated and accepted in Nigeria.
Can works of yours viewed online besides on CologneOFF or VideoChannel? Where? List some links & resources