Soot: Product abundance is only solution – Art director

Visual artists around the Niger Delta and beyond showing worry over the menace of petro-dust called soot have concluded that an abundance of petroleum products is the way to eradicate the menace.

This position was communicated by the Director of the Moriri Gallery in Port Harcourt, Kayode Adeoti, at the closing ceremony of their first exhibition in 2022.

Speaking to newsmen, Adeoti said the art community believes that if there is an abundance of petroleum products, the issue of kpo-fire (illegally refined products) will not be there. He argued that it would not be economically viable for those that risk their lives to do this.

He went on: “If we had abundance of all of the products, we would have a better and clean society with clean air to breathe. We would not have all this pollution.”

On the exhibition, the Director said it recorded 165 visitors by last weekend. “The theme is Clearing the Air and it is one that impacts all of us, whether you are rich or poor, resident here, an executive, whoever you are, it impacts on you.

“That way, we decided we call it so because it is common interest. It is something that everybody has on top of their minds. They have been wondering how this can be solved, how do they deal with this.

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“But from the art community, we believe that there is no way we can sit and fold our arms on this menace. It would be sacrilegious to do so. That is why we came up with the theme. It is an exhibition of contemporary art work, periscoping problems and solution of soot in the area.

“This is the first in the series; we call it 1.0. We hope to have the next one in July 2022 and it would involve the academics in the various universities around the state. They would express themselves in visual art, sculptural work, etc.

“We also hope to present a journal: Moriri Chronicles. We hope that people that are not in the visual art can write their own articles and tell us what they have seen. They can also proffer solutions.”

Adeoti said the art community has joined in lending its voice to the call for action against soot. He said more series would follow suit to boost interest in art.

He said: “We want to create an eco-system where people appreciate art because it goes a long way in adding value in different ways to everybody; the cloth you wear, the aesthetics of your house, the city, etc, all have a lot to do with art. There is no packaging or presentation that does not have art imbued in it.

“I believe the artist is somebody God has created and God speaks to direct. He also creates.’