{"id":2000124243,"date":"2026-08-30T13:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T11:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000124243"},"modified":"2026-08-30T13:18:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T11:18:35","slug":"global-artists-converge-at-nyandungu-eco-park-for-conservation-exhibition-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/global-artists-converge-at-nyandungu-eco-park-for-conservation-exhibition-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Global artists converge at Nyandungu Eco-Park for conservation exhibition (Photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Titled Soil & Water: Kigali Crossings, the initiative was launched on Friday, August 28, in partnership with South Africa\u2019s NIROX Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition officially opened on August 29 and will run until March 2027, bringing together artist residencies, artworks inspired by Nyandungu\u2019s natural environment, performances, concerts, community activities and other public events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prominent African artists expected to participate include Ghanaian artists Ibrahim Mahama and Serge Clottey, as well as South African artist Willem Boshoff. The exhibition will also feature artists from France, Spain and Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The programme seeks to create a space where artists can explore the relationship between people and nature while encouraging visitors to reflect on the importance of protecting ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Johan Thom, co-curator of the project and Professor and Coordinator of Fine Art at the University of Pretoria, said the initiative is about more than showcasing art, seeking instead to connect creativity with deeper reflection on humanity\u2019s relationship with nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the participating artists is Io Makandal, an environmental artist from Johannesburg, South Africa, whose work focuses on environmental restoration through soil, plants and land art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“One of the main things that I work with is activated effective microorganisms. I use them in the same way that a painter uses paint. I\u2019m a sculptor and a maker, and I incorporate them into my artistic practice,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Makandal said the microorganisms are gradually released into the environment and can contribute to the restoration of soil and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She plans to work with environmental specialists in Rwanda to explore their potential use in Nyandungu Eco-Park\u2019s waterways, with the aim of helping improve water quality over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Telesphore Ngoga, Conservation Analyst at the Rwanda Nature Foundation, said the programme gives artists an opportunity to draw inspiration from Nyandungu\u2019s landscape and ecological systems and translate their experiences into creative works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The artists\u2019 creativity offers fresh ways to view this landscape and the ecological systems that sustain it. Their installations invite reflection on our relationship with nature, our duty to future generations, and the need to protect the resources that sustain life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ngoga added that the artworks are intended to complement rather than replace the natural environment at the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These works do not seek to replace nature. Rather, they enrich its interpretation. They allow visitors to experience Nyandungu not only through its wetlands, plants, birds, and waterways, but also through the insights and imagination of the artists who have engaged with this place,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guy Hedderwick, Managing Director of QA Venue Solutions Rwanda, which manages Nyandungu Eco-Park, said the partnership with the NIROX Foundation was driven by the desire to use art as a tool for communicating the importance of conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The wonderful thing about art is it’s about your own personal interpretation of it, and therefore every person who comes and views it will get a different story out of it,\u201d he remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hedderwick said a visit to the NIROX Foundation in South Africa helped inspire the idea of creating a similar intersection between art and nature at Nyandungu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the exhibition is also expected to encourage more people to visit the park while helping them appreciate the importance of wetlands within Kigali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nyandungu Eco-Park was opened in 2022 and has continued to attract growing numbers of visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Attendance increased from 67,222 visitors in 2023 to 76,754 in 2024. In 2025, the number rose significantly, reaching about 100,000 visitors by November, representing an increase of more than 30 percent compared with the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ongoing exhibition is expected to add another dimension to the park\u2019s visitor experience by combining its wetlands and biodiversity with artistic interpretation and public engagement around conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Titled Soil & Water: Kigali Crossings, the initiative was launched on Friday, August 28, in partnership with South Africa\u2019s NIROX Foundation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The exhibition officially opened on August 29 and will run until March 2027.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The programme seeks to create a space where artists can explore the relationship between people and nature while encouraging visitors to reflect on the importance of protecting ecosystems.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Professor Johan Thom, co-curator of the project and Professor and Coordinator of Fine Art at the University of Pretoria, said the initiative is about more than showcasing art, seeking instead to connect creativity with deeper reflection on humanity\u2019s relationship with nature.<\/strong>
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Telesphore Ngoga, Conservation Analyst at the Rwanda Nature Foundation, said the programme gives artists an opportunity to draw inspiration from Nyandungu\u2019s landscape and ecological systems and translate their experiences into creative works.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Artists from Rwanda, Africa and beyond have converged at Nyandungu Eco-Park in Kigali for an international exhibition seeking to use art and storytelling to deepen public engagement with environmental conservation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000124257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000124243","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-culture","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":2000122456,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-11.58.47-AM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 11.58.47 AM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":2000122456,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-08-14-at-11.58.47-AM.jpeg","title":"WhatsApp Image 2026-08-14 at 11.58.47 AM","mime_type":"image\/jpeg"},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000124257,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/HQo78wWWUAA_pRY.jpeg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":2048,"height":1638,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/HQo78wWWUAA_pRY.jpeg","width":2048,"height":1638},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/HQo78wWWUAA_pRY.jpeg","width":2048,"height":1638},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/HQo78wWWUAA_pRY.jpeg","width":2048,"height":1638},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/HQo78wWWUAA_pRY.jpeg","width":2048,"height":1638},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/HQo78wWWUAA_pRY.jpeg","width":2048,"height":1638}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000124243","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000124243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000124243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000124262,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000124243\/revisions\/2000124262"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000124257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000124243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000124243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000124243"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000124243"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000124243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}