ART X Lagos 2019

The newly expanded fourth edition of ART X Lagos - West Africa’s premier international art fair, showcasing the most innovative contemporary art from the African continent and its Diaspora - takes place from Friday 1 November to Sunday 3 November 2019. The fair continues to deliver an exciting program of curated projects, talks and live events, to a broad audience of collectors, connoisseurs, cultural practitioners and art lovers; previous highlights have included special projects with international artists such as Yinka Shonibare CBE, Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Ben Enwonwu.

For the 2019 edition, ART X Lagos undertakes several major changes in order to fulfil its commitment to providing a truly unique cultural and lifestyle experience for a wide variety of audiences, both locally and internationally.

The number of participating galleries at the fair increases from 18 to 26, with many returning galleries occupying larger booths. Exhibitors include: Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), Art House - The Space (Nigeria), Galerie Cécile Fakhoury (Ivory Coast), Goodman Gallery (South Africa), Out of Africa Gallery (Spain), SMAC Gallery (South Africa), SMO Contemporary (Nigeria), TAFETA (United Kingdom) and Tiwani Contemporary (United Kingdom). Notable artists include: Abe Odedina (UK), Ruby Onyinyechi Amanze (Nigeria/USA), and Sam Nhlengethwa (South Africa), with many more to be announced.

2019 also sees the introduction of ART X Modern, a dedicated section showcasing pioneers of African Modern art from the 20th century. A newly-launched performance art section, curated by artist Wura-Natasha Ogunji, further expands the fair’s live offerings. The ongoing curated and interactive projects, ART X Talks, and ART X Live!, return with several innovations: the audience capacity for ART X Talks and ART X Live! doubles, whilst the curated and interactive projects provide greater variety than previous years. Overall, the 2019 edition of ART X Lagos will showcase a significantly increased number of artworks.

In 2016, the ART X Prize was launched, as a platform designed to support emerging artists, sponsored by Access Bank. The Prize has evolved significantly over the past three years, undergoing several changes. The Prize returns for 2019, renamed as the Access Bank ART X Prize, providing funding and mentorship for emerging artists, as well as an international residency at Gasworks, London, for the winner. This year’s jury will include artists Emeka Ogboh, Zina Saro-Wiwa, Ibrahim Mahama, and Wura Natasha Ogunji, as well as Alessio Antoniolli, Director of Gasworks. Applications for the 2019 Prize will be open until Friday 16 August.

Launched in 2016, ART X Lagos has since become a cornerstone of the Lagos art calendar, drawing local patrons and a host of international collectors, curators, and critics annually. Since its debut, ART X Lagos has welcomed over 22,000 visitors to see the works of Africa’s leading established and emerging artists, including representatives of institutions such as the Tate Modern, Zeitz MOCAA, the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Centre Pompidou.

Tokini Peterside, ART X Lagos Founder & Director:

‘2019 marks a dynamic year of growth for ART X Lagos; we were extremely proud of our major moments in 2018 - namely Yinka Shonibare CBE’s special exhibition, the display of Ben Enwonwu’s ‘Tutu', and the introduction of East African galleries for the first time - and we look forward to expanding on these milestones even further. We are so proud to be working with such a talented selection of galleries both from the continent, and internationally; seeing so many returning galleries taking on larger spaces indicates the continuing strength of the fair, and will also offer them greater curatorial expression. We continue to devote ourselves to displaying a powerful overview of the creative output across Africa, providing a global platform for a wide cross section of galleries and artists to engage with local and international audiences. The addition of ART X Modern and our dedicated performance art sections further demonstrates how our vision continues to be broad-ranging and multidisciplinary - bringing a more fully-rounded cultural experience to every visitor.’

Image credit: Abe Odedina, Love Play, 2018, acrylic on plywood , 115 x 112.7cm. Image courtesy of Ed Cross Fine Art and ART X Lagos.