A two-day convening in Lagos to explore “African and Afro-diasporic art archives as living, contested, and future-shaping spaces,” the Re:assemblages Symposium became a gathering point of ideas and geographies. Jointly presented by Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation and Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.) in early November, the symposium moved its participants towards other ways of seeing, remembering, and keeping that dismantle hierarchies between human and non-human, while laboring against historical amnesia. The occasion also launched the C& Cyclopedia station partnership in the new Reading Room at the G.A.S. Library and Picton Archive.

G.A.S. Foundation is pleased to welcome Fiyin Koko, our first resident of 2026. A multidisciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, installation, and moving image, Fiyin’s practice is grounded in womanism, memory, play, and embodied experience. Through her work, she explores how personal and collective stories, particularly those centered on women, are formed, remembered, and transformed over time. Known for her signature use of blue and elements of artivism, Fiyin creates visual narratives that engage both personal and communal experiences. 

On November 28, 2025, G.A.S. Lagos hosted Our Key Images, a printmaking workshop led by artist and educator Daniel Minter. The session introduced participants to Daniel’s approach to relief block carving and the use of personal symbols as foundational elements within his assemblage practice.

In November, we welcomed Dutch-Curaçaoan artist, poet, and activist Quinsy Gario for a month-long residency at G.A.S. Lagos. Working across performance, film, photography, and text, Quinsy’s practice interrogates how histories of enslavement and displacement continue to circulate, emotionally, materially, and politically, tracing suppressed narratives and advocating for justice, recognition, and repair. Quinsy arrived in Lagos at a pivotal moment in his research, focused on human remains discovered in St. Martin, believed to be linked to Nigeria and dated between 1660–1680. His residency offered dedicated time to explore questions of belonging, return, and the ethical responsibilities attached to repatriation. During his stay, he connected with local artists, theatre-makers, poets, and researchers addressing related themes, including colonial memory, slavery, and the politics of preservation.