ART X Lagos 2018: About the Fair

ART X Lagos, West Africa’s premier international art fair will take place from 2nd – 4th November 2018 at The Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. ART X Lagos is one of the most important art fairs on the continent alongside South Africa’s art fairs; and in its third year, the fair has fast become the Frieze of West Africa. Launched in 2016, ART X Lagos is West Africa’s first international art fair, showcasing the best and most innovative contemporary art from the African continent and Diaspora, with the intention of widening West Africa’s connection to the international contemporary art scene.

The inaugural edition of ART X Lagos in 2016 welcomed 5,000 visitors to The Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, and last year’s edition saw the figures double to close to 10,000 – the fair has welcomed representatives of institutions such as the Tate Modern, Zeitz MOCAA, and the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian.

Tokini Peterside, ART X Lagos Founder & Director:

“It is a true pleasure to announce the third edition of ART X Lagos, which has become a significant contributor to the positioning of modern and contemporary African art at the forefront. We look forward with excitement to our annual celebration of the continent and diaspora’s artists, art students, scholars, collectors, art professionals and art lovers. Lagos is home to one of the most vibrant art scenes in Africa, and is fast on its way towards becoming the continent’s culture capital, We are proud to be at the forefront of this movement alongside the city’s dynamic creators and cultural entrepreneurs. We look forward to welcoming the art world to Lagos, at the third edition of ART X Lagos which will run from November 2nd to 4th, 2018.”

Exhibiting Galleries: 18 of Africa’s most prestigious galleries will exhibit their best contemporary artists at the fair. East African artists and galleries will be exhibited for the first time, including Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), Afriart Gallery (Uganda) and Circle Art Gallery (Kenya). Further exhibitors include: Arthouse - The Space (Nigeria), Artyrama (Nigeria), Bloom Art (Nigeria), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), Retro Africa (Nigeria), Signature Beyond (Nigeria), SMO Contemporary (Nigeria), Thought Pyramid (Nigeria), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Nubuke Foundation (Ghana), SMAC Gallery (South Africa), STEVENSON Gallery (South Africa), Tiwani Contemporary (UK) and TAFETA (UK). Presenting galleries for 2018 have been chosen by a selection committee led by, N'Goné Fall, the renowned Senegalese curator, art critic and cultural consultant, and Femi Lijadu, one of Nigeria's most respected art collectors.

Exhibiting Artists: ART X Lagos 2018 will also include East African artists for the first time, including Kenyans Paul Onditi and Cyrus Kabiru, Ethiopian artist Tadesse Mesfin, and Ugandan artists Collin Sekajugo and Sanaa Gateja. Cyrus Kabiru is a self-taught sculptor and painter, who refashions found materials such as bottle caps and forks into different wearable forms, often flamboyant glasses that can mask the entire face. Na Chainkua Reindorf’s work is informed and inspired by the visual language of West African textiles and the custom of using these textiles as a means of communication. Joy Labinjo’s work draws on her British-Nigerian heritage and examines the complex relationship between identity, race and culture. In her piece ‘Belonging’, she invites the viewer to step into large-scale canvases saturated with colours, patterns and people, reconfigured from her family photograph albums.

The Curated Projects: The Curated Projects this year, curated by Missla Libsekal, will focus on the keynote artist Yinka Shonibare MBE, who will be visiting Lagos from London, to participate in ART X Lagos.

The Talks: Key stakeholders in Africa’s art economy will discuss important themes pertinent to the state and evolution of contemporary art in Africa. The Talks will hold on Saturday 3rd November and Sunday 4th November. Six conversations, including a keynote talk with Yinka Shonibare MBE, will be curated by Missla Libsekal.

The Interactive Projects: Three diverse and exciting art installations that the art fair audience is encouraged to participate in, making the fair an entertaining day-out for a wide variety of visitors, curated by A Whitespace Creative Agency.