By Prisca Sam-Duru

The 7th edition of Timeless Memories: Elastic Effects of Wole Soyinka series opened Saturday, July 13, at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos.

The exhibition which runs till the end of July 2024, is in honour of Africa’s first Nobel laureate Professor Woke Soyinka, who turned 90 on July 13, 2024.

The special tributary celebration offers an immersive and experimental exhibition that delves deep into the life and works of Prof. Soyinka.

Conceptualised and curated by archivist and historian Oludamola Adebowale, the exhibition series was inaugurated seven years ago as a unique platform to interrogate Soyinka’s works through immersive experiences.

Last year’s edition was held in November and was specially requested by Prof Soyinka to go on tour, which brings it back this year to commemorate his milestone birthday.

This year’s tributary exhibition is titled, The Man Who Didn’t Die in the Face of Tyranny, and it is inspired by Soyinka’s prison notes, The Man Died, originally published in 1971.

Timeless Memories exhibition features special audio and video installations where Soyinka narrates his harrowing prison experiences and his survival through 22 months of solitary confinement between 1967 and 1969.

 “The exhibition series speaks to the core of one of those situations that tested the resilience of the icon and also the fundamental of humanity in everyone. How do you measure the true test of a man when he stands in the face of tyranny?” Oludamola Adebowale stated.

The show also features audio/video narrations by Soyinka about his imprisonment and solitary confinement; the solitary confinement cell with archival newspaper clippings and exclusive interviews.

Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, which also serves as the private office of Prof Soyinka, provides a fitting backdrop for this celebratory and reflective exhibition. This edition not only honours Soyinka’s enduring legacy but also provides an engaging and thought-provoking experience for observers.