The Ens Project by Leo Asemota
This is a Temporary website for The Ens Project an ongoing multipartite work of art by Nigerian born London based artist Leo Asemota.
Asemota has been evolving The Ens Project since spring 2005. The Project’s formative and creative impetus are ancient and contemporary Nigeria’s Edo peoples of Benin’s rich tradition of art and ceremony and their annual Igue rite to the Head; Victorian Britain’s history of invention, exploration and conquest in which the sacking and looting of the former Kingdom of Benin is of particular interest; and the essay “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction” by the German cultural theorist Walter Benjamin.
This Temporary website presents an overview of the Project’s phases, its history, list of works and an ens cyclopædia of related subject matter.
© Leo Asemota / EoTLA All Rights Reserved
The Prime Movers will on the Architect is Leo Asemota’s creative activity, his experiences and process in realizing The Ens Project. Aspects of the collection have been exhibited at The Contemporary Rooms at EoTLA (2010) and at Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (2014)
Installation views
The Prime Movers will on the Architect
25 September 2010 - 19 February 2011
Contemporary Rooms at EoTLA
London
Installation views of works from
Leo Asemota’s “The Prime Movers will on the Architect”.
Transfigurations: Curatorial and Artistic Research in an Age of Migrations
19 - 26 June 2014
Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA)
Photo: Courtesy of Royal College of Art, London
The Tutelary Affiliate: Miner
Brass leaf, orhue (kaolin) and coal on printed matter in artists’ frame.
Observation of material: VRI Blackfriars Bridge
2008
Coal on colour photograph in artist’s frame
Observation of material: Agent of The Union
2007-08
Coal, coral, silver foil, printed matter of a photograph of a British Protectorate Soldier with Benin Medal and oxidized metal strap.
Observation of material: Untitled
2007
Orhue (kaolin), coal and coral on reading matter.
Observation of material: Dimensional Analogues of A Void
2011
Palm oil casts
“Freedom”
Newspaper cutting
London’s Evening Standard Thursday 5 June 2019
Newspaper cutting
Illustrated London News c. 1940’s
“Royal Air Force Memorial, Victoria Embankment”
2008
Colour video with sound
Excerpt from a film of Leo Asemota viewing Benin Bronze heads at the British Museum.
2007
Colour video without sound
Observation of material: Printer alignment
Archival ink on paper in artist’s frame
2010
“Turkey’s pit of despair”
Newspaper cutting
The Independent Thursday 15 May 2014
“Black Magic”
WIRED magazine Issue 22.04
April 2014
A Progress Book
Unilever Limited
“Indonesia is burning”
Newspaper cutting
The Guardian Friday 30 October 2015
Observation of material: spi(rit)ual
2010
Coal, orhue (kaoilin) and iron sheet on a stand
From the series: Rit Drawing.
Excerpt from a video recording of Ugie Ivie (Rite of the Coral beads)
Oba Palace, Benin City
2019
Colour video with sound.
“Coral for kunstkemmern”
Christie’s magazine June-July 2015
Copy of Leo Asemota’s request for archives
2007
Templer Study Centre
National Army Museum, London
Preparatory sketches for the live art work “Count Off for Eo ipso” at Tate Modern Tanks
2012
Ink on colour photograph
Preparing “agba” style pedestals at Bait Khalid Ibrahim, Sharjah
Sharjah Biennail 2019
Colour video with sound.
© 2019 Leo Asemota / EoTLA
From “Royal Art of Benin - The Perls Collection”
1992
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Kate Ezra
Observation of material: Avatāra
2012
Ink on a photograph of Architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
