tl;dr

  • Machine Boys is the first institutional solo exhibition in the United States for British-Nigerian artist Karimah Ashadu.
  • The single-channel video installation Machine Boys won the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale.
  • Machine Boys focuses on the lives of motorcycle taxi drivers in Lagos.

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Canal Projects in New York is presenting the first institutional solo exhibition in the United States for British-Nigerian artist Karimah Ashadu. Titled Machine Boys, the exhibition is centered on the video installation of the same name, which earned the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale.

The single-channel video Machine Boys focuses on the lives of motorcycle taxi drivers in Lagos. Through Ashadu’s distinct visual style, the work examines the labor conditions, economic struggles, and personal narratives of these drivers, shedding light on a frequently overlooked aspect of urban Nigerian life. Machine Boys is produced by Fondazione In Between Art Film and co-produced by Golddust by Ashadu. The video was shown at New York Film Festival last year for its North American premiere.

Ashadu is known for her socially engaged works that consistently interrogate the intersections of labor, colonial histories, and environmental transformations. She often employs custom-built camera mechanisms, creating dynamic visual effects that enhance the sensory impact of her work. In 2022 Ashadu won the Prize of the Bötterstraße in Bremen.

Canal Projects is a non-profit contemporary art institution dedicated to supporting international and local artists at pivotal moments in their careers. Machine Boys opens on May 9, 2025. For more information about this and other events at Canal Projects visit their site.

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