Group hiking became the new norm and order in and around Addis Abeba. Alpha Tour (and event organizing) and I took the initiative of organizing a hiking program at Gullelle Botanical Garden for visual artists and art enthusiasts on Sunday June 13th 2021 aiming to create a special platform for both parties rather than the usual art exhibitions.
The day started with enthusiasm for some who made it early and were eager to meet the artists, while for other artists waking up early and arriving at 6 am was a choice to make, after a long night of creativity and for some it was interesting enough to challenge oneself.
The trip started at 6:45 after the long wait for the creatives, then introductions began and the adventure started in the bus. Once at the Garden, groups started to form and discussions began; so many different questions were raised during the hike and during the half hour breaks, different points were discussed and teaching dialogue took place with questions such as, what does it mean to be a visual artist, how do you make a living as a visual artist, what does success mean to the artists and their communities, how are artists surviving the pandemic, who should collect art, what does an art curator mean, who are the best curators in Africa, etc ….
In conclusion, this half day trip provided an opportunity to test our ability to adventure in the woods and most importantly to discover more about each other’s world and gain an afterwards promise to reconnect, visit future art exhibitions and purchase works of art! It is encouraging to participate in these kind of activities.
Photo Credit to Tesfaye Fekade (Tefu)
