The Sacred Art Movement - FB
Screened as a national premiere on the occasion of the XV Florence Biennale
The documentary film “The Sacred Art Movement” by Olusola Otori will be screened as a national première on the occasion of the XV Florence Biennale (Fortezza da Basso, Florence, 18-26 October 2025), themed “The Sublime Essence of Light and Darkness. Concepts of Dualism and Unity in Contemporary Art and Design”.
The documentary has been honored and screened at the Sacramento Pan African Film Festival 2005, the London Pan African Film Festival Festival 2005, the 7th Dumbo Film Festival New York 2005, and the African USA International Film Festival Los Angeles, California 2005.
“The Sacred Art Movement” sheds light on the lives and remarkable collaborative efforts of artists and artisans who dedicated their lives to preserving the Osun-Osogbo forest and cultural heritage under the supervision of Susanne Wenger, an Austrian born sculptor now recognized as the pioneer of the “New Sacred Art Movement” in Osogbo, western Nigeria. Several important themes are raised through this film including human values and ethics, environmental protection and social responsibility, the role of Susanne Wenger, an outsider, and the complex issues surrounding the coexistence of art and traditional Yoruba practice in the deeply Christian and Islamic context of Nigeria.
The documentary was filmed over a period of eight years by Olusola Otori, a Nigerian filmmaker as he explored the intersection of spiritualism and art. He visited Osun-Osogbo Grove regularly documenting spiritual spaces, sacred shrines of deities and effigies of the goddess Osun.
Over time, the documentary captures rare footage of the most important original artists of the “New Sacred Art Movement" including Adebisi Akanji and Sangodare Ajala (both of whom passed away recently). These two important artists trained the next generation of artists and artisans who continue restoring the art in the traditional way in accordance with the significance and spirituality of the essence of the shrines and sculptures. The thoughts of this legacy generation are also beautifully communicated in this documentary.
