The creative collective behind The City Beneath has launched initiatives to reshape Nigeria’s art industry through immersive exhibitions blending performance, digital innovation, and cultural narratives.

Showcased at the National Museum of Unity, the initiative aims to redefine audience interaction with art and cultural heritage by departing from conventional exhibition models. By integrating sculpture, painting, sound, theatre, and augmented reality, the group hopes to transform museums and public art spaces into immersive settings where visitors become active participants in storytelling and cultural expression.

Speaking on the project, organisers said the goal is to challenge long-standing perceptions of museums as quiet spaces where artefacts remain disconnected from the communities and spiritual histories they represent.

At the centre of the initiative is The City Beneath, a multimodal installation inspired by the West African night market, a cultural space where trade, ritual, memory, and spirituality intersect.

The exhibition transforms the museum courtyard into a layered environment filled with handcrafted structures, shrines, performance, and digital experiences.

The project also highlights the growing role of technology within Nigeria’s contemporary art scene. Artists involved in the installation use augmented reality and digital storytelling tools to reinterpret indigenous narratives and cultural memory for modern audiences.

Artist Neec Nonso explores themes of reincarnation and spiritual existence through hidden augmented reality installations embedded in reflective water-filled enamel bowls, while Bolaji Mofeyiseke examines how digital technology can revive forgotten cultural memory within museum artefacts.

Dikachi Ugwu contributes painted jute bags that retell indigenous folktales of transformation between human, animal, and spiritual worlds, connecting traditional storytelling with materials associated with everyday market life.

The initiative further incorporates live theatrical performance, with theatre artists from the University of Ibadan transforming the exhibition space into what organisers describe as a “living archive”.

Industry observers say projects such as The City Beneath reflect a broader shift within Nigeria’s creative sector towards experiential and technology-driven art practices. They note that immersive installations and interactive exhibitions are increasingly becoming tools for engaging younger audiences while preserving indigenous narratives in contemporary forms.

Organisers expressed optimism that initiatives of this nature could contribute to the long-term development of Nigeria’s art ecosystem by encouraging collaboration between artists, technologists, performers, and cultural institutions.