Censorship

received  simultaneously  a copy of
the  brochure  of PACA's  biennial
exhibition  and the maiden  edition of Letter  From
Africa.  It will  be naive  of anyone  who has been
following  the current  intellectual  drought  in
these  parts  not to commend  the resourcefulness  behind
these  noteworthy  accomplishments  of the people at
PACA.  PACA is perhaps  the most  remarkable  art  phenomenon

on this  continent  today.

But one  hopes  that  Krydz's  introduction  to the

brochure  (erudite as it,  undebately,  is ) is not  intended as an
official  declaration  by PACA,  Krydz  after  all is the head of
the  international  secretariat of this great  association.
What  is  disquieting  in the piece  is the whiff of

censorship  it contains.  Between  a redundant  theory and
even the best-meaning  act of censorship,  it is the arbitrarity
that is more  pernicious  to the time-honoured  effort  to deal
with the human  condition.

In attacking  postmodernism  Krydz's  action  is in tune

with the very  essence of serious  scholarship.  The human
mind has not yet evolved to a level  where  it is capable of
producing  a flawless  theory.  But in  implying  a forcible
isolation  of works  of practitioners  with a conviction  that is
different  from  his (for how else  does  one read  such  dicta
of  his as, ' No  installation  here'?)  I become  reluctant  to give
him a 1 00-percent  support.

My  reading  of postmodernism  (a la Lyotard)  is  that it

is  merely a bold  understanding  of the ancient,  salutary
intellectual  laissez  faire  that  forms the spine of scholarship. I
am, of course,  unable to share the excitement of its more
zealous  supporters, for the preeminent  reason  that,  below
the  surface,  it really  says  nothing  new You don't  claim o
new  birth by  rechristening  an old child.  All the formula-
tions  that  underpin  postmodernism  are the same  single
thread  running  through  liberal  scholarship  from the
earliest  of times to the present.  The  insipidity of
postmodernism  may only  be compared  with  the boredom
that  attend the products of the cybernmania 
pervades  all sphere of human  activity.

that now

Nor  do I think  it is worth  the trouble to decree  to

Africans  to accept or reject  any of theory  or the other. It
seems  inadvertently  insulting  to the intelligence of indi-
vidual  Africans, or  for that  matter  member  of any other
human  group, to think  that  they are not capable of recogniz-

Onuxulike Ozioma,
Stoneware, 1997.
'Africa:  Stories of Pain,
stories of  Hope'.

ing  a helpful  or  worthless  theory  when  they  see one.

When  Krydz  goes on to say,  apparently  regarding  PACA's  creed, ' No
installation  here', one is made  all the more  apprehensive.  Censorship  is the very
worst  that can happen to any domain of art, or intellectual  enterprise. In art,  let
time  alone be allowed  to treasure  what  it deems  fit and burn  what  is loathes GR

African  Quarterly
on the Arts
Vol  2/No 4 GLEN DOR A