Why you should visit art galleries often

Art X Lagos, an international annual art fair in Lagos, Nigeria just concluded its 2022 edition and it featured art pieces by artists from all over the African continent and the world. The purpose of the fair is to appreciate and promote African art and artists. These artists use different mediums to express themselves and showcase them at the fair.

Art ranges from paintings to sculptures (with different materials), photography to interactive displays, pottery, and so on  People are welcome to experience and consume art with intention. 

Aside from the fair, you can visit an art gallery any time of the year. Many art galleries are open to the public here in Nigeria, but there’s the question of why. Why should you attend an art fair? Why should you visit an art gallery or museum? What’s the fun in standing around looking at artwork when you’re not an artist or a huge fan? 

It might seem like a waste of time and energy but in this post, we highlight 6 good reasons why you should visit art galleries often. 

Sabrina Coleman-Pinheiro's solo exhibition 'Feeling Blue, Seeking Solace' exhibition at ReLe Gallery in Lagos

1. Art galleries improve your memory 

Because art inspires your imagination, ignites ideas, and exercises the ability to give meaning to something, your mind is stimulated. This stimulation is necessary when improving memory.

2. Art galleries serve as a window (into different time periods and different minds)

A work of art can inform you about so many things from the time in which it was made and the activities happening at the time to the medium in which it was made and why. When you see a piece of art, you’re not just looking at an object, you’re seeing into the mind of the artist and the happenings at that time.

3. Art galleries improve creativity 

Artists see everyday things, situations, and experiences and flip them. This helps you, the consumer, see things from a different perspective. You can even provide a new interpretation and discover things about yourself, your community, and life, in general.  By just playing around with these ideas you find at an art gallery, you can generate many ideas of your own.

4. Art galleries improve your art, history, and geography knowledge

In an art gallery, works from different places, people, and cultures with different mediums are displayed. When you see an art piece and you pay attention to the name, place, inspiration, reference and artist, you are informing yourself about history, geography, and art. 

You could find an art guide or even the artists themselves and start a conversation about the pieces.

5. Art galleries are rewarding emotionally

Consuming art is a calm and thoughtful exercise that helps you become conscious of what you’re thinking and feeling. It stirs up positive emotions and reduces stress. With the reflections and immersions you experience at an art gallery, you feel more connected to yourself and to the world. 

6. Art galleries support art and artistes 

These art galleries are supporting talents by having them featured and when you visit them, you’re promoting the art and the artists, boosting tourism, and supporting the local businesses around them. 

Art galleries are a safe environment for you to feel any emotion from fear to joy and a safe place to provide your interpretations and meanings to things. Imagine all the things you could learn and talk about from consuming art. Doesn’t that sound fun?

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