Peckham, boasts the South London Gallery which is located there, is sometimes called “Little Lagos” because of its strong connections to Nigeria’s biggest city. In this exhibition Lagos transforms Peckham enticingly: its sounds, sights and even flavours infuse the gallery.
Emeka Ogboh has worked particularly hard to layer the two cities together: his Lagos Soundscapes fill this London space with African urban street sounds, not just honking traffic but chants, street cries and rapping bus conductors. This recording was even played to Ogboh’s own craft beer – displayed in the show as a sculpture in crates and on sale at the cafe – as it fermented in south London to “flavour” it with the sounds of Lagos, as well as Nigerian spices. It is named after a tough Lagos saying: “No Food for Lazy Man”. And the magic realist brewing method works, for it tastes outstanding.
