ART X Lagos is an art fair in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

, Nigeria. It is the first international art fair in

West Africa West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...

, founded and launched in 2016, and six editions have been held so far. The seventh edition of the fair will be held from 4 to 6 November 2022.

Founding and character

ART X Lagos was created in 2016 by Tokini Peterside, a Nigerian entrepreneur, to showcase and support the breadth of contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. It draws local patrons and a host of international collectors, curators, and critics annually. ART X Lagos is usually a four-day affair, featuring art galleries in Africa and the Diaspora showcasing established as well as emerging artists. The fair also includes a talks programme, ART X Talks, featuring local and international speakers, as well as interactive projects to engage its varied audiences, and live art and music performances. In 2020, ART X Lagos was held as an online-only art fair. ART X Lagos returned with a physical fair in 2021, the first in-person fair in Africa since the pandemic struck. The seventh edition will be held from 4 to 6 November 2022 in Lagos, Nigeria, with an extension online till 10 November o
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First edition

The first edition of ART X Lagos was held from 4 to 6 November 2016. It showcased contemporary art by more than 60 established and emerging artists from 10 countries in Africa, including Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Mali, and was artistically directed by

Bisi Silva Bisi Silva (Olabisi Obafunke Silva) (29 May 1962 – 12 February 2019) was a Nigerian contemporary art curator based in Lagos. Biography Bisi Silva graduated with an MA in Visual Arts Administration: Curating and Commissioning Contemporary Ar ...

. The debut fair welcomed 5,000 visitors from around Nigeria and the world. Notable artists who exhibited at the first edition include

William Kentridge William Kentridge (born 28 April 1955) is a South African artist best known for his prints, drawings, and animated films, especially noted for a sequence of hand-drawn animated films he produced during the 1990s. The latter are constructed by ...

, Barthelemy Togou, Sokari Douglas-Camp, Ghana Amer, Victor Ehikhamenor, Gerald Chukwuma, Amadou Sanogo, Owusu Ankomah, Jeremiah Quarshie, and Obiageli Okigbo among others. Speakers at ART X Talks included

El Anatsui El Anatsui ( h-nah-ch-wee born 1944) is a Ghanaian sculptor active for much of his career in Nigeria. He has drawn particular international attention for his " bottle-top installations". These installations consist of thousands of aluminum piec ...

Bruce Onobrakpeya Bruce Obomeyoma Onobrakpeya (born 30 August 1932) is a Nigerian printmaker, painter and sculptor. He has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and the Malm� ...

, Prince Yemisi Shyllon, and

Zoé Whitley Zoé Whitley (born 30 December 1979) is an American art historian and curator who has been director of Chisenhale Gallery since 2020. Based in London, she has held curatorial positions at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate galleries, and t ...

Second edition

The second edition was held from 3 to 5 November 2017 and welcomed more than 9,000 visitors to see the works of artists from more than 15 countries across Africa. The fair featured galleries from Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali and the United Kingdom. Notable artists included

Yinka Shonibare Yinka Shonibare (born 9 August 1962), is a British-Nigerian artist living in the United Kingdom. His work explores cultural identity, colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. A hallmark of his art is t ...

(MBE),

Zanele Muholi Zanele Muholi (born 19 July 1972) is a South African artist and visual activist working in photography, video, and installation. Muholi's work focuses on race, gender and sexuality with a body of work that dates back to the early 2000's, documen ...

, Modupeola Fadugba,

Nandipha Mntambo Nandipha Mntambo (born 1982) is a South African artist who has become famous for her sculptures, videos and photographs that focus on human female body and identity by using natural, organic materials. Life Nandipha Mntambo was born in Swazi ...

, Virginia Chihota, Boris Nzebo,

Babatunde Olatunji Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Early life Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Nige ...

, Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum,

Portia Zvavahera Portia Zvavahera (born 1985) is a Zimbabwean painter. Early life Zvavahera was born in Zimbabwe. She studied at the BAT Visual Arts Studio at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe from 2003 to 2005 and obtained a diploma in visual arts from Harare ...

and Lakin Ogunbanwo among others. The fair also included special project exhibitions by solo artists, curated by Missla Libsekal, notable among which was an exhibition of seven life-sized wooden sculptures by Nigeria's pioneer modernist

Ben Enwonwu Odinigwe Benedict Chukwukadibia Enwonwu MBE (14 July 1917 – 5 February 1994), better known as Ben Enwonwu, was a Nigerian painter and sculptor. Arguably the most influential African artist of the 20th century, his pioneering career opened th ...

, to commemorate his centenary. Speakers at ART X Talks included

Njideka Akunyili Crosby Njideka Akunyili Crosby (born 1983) is a Nigerian-born visual artist working in Los Angeles, California. Through her art Akunyili Crosby "negotiates the cultural terrain between her adopted home in America and her native Nigeria, creating collag ...

, Lemi Ghariokwu,

Peju Alatise Peju Alatise (born 1975) is a Nigerian artist, poet, writer, and a fellow at the National Museum of African Art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Alatise received formal training as an architect at Ladoke Akintola University in Oyo State, N ...

Stacy Hardy Stacy M. Hardy is a writer, journalist, multimedia artist and theatre practitioner. She is a founding member of the'' Venus Fly Trapeze Theatre Company'', which has produced 8 original productions since 1995. She has lectured and tutored in th ...

and Wura-Natasha Ogunji.

Third edition

The third edition was held from 2 to 4 November 2018, once again welcoming visitors from across the globe, with works showcased from 18 countries. For the first time, the fair featured East African artists and exhibitors, from countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. A key highlight of the 2018 fair was a special exhibition by Yinka Shonibare CBE, exploring his career highlights, curated by Missla Libeskal. Ben Enwonwu's masterpiece "Tutu" (1974), the highest selling African artwork at auction, was also exhibited at the fair, its first public showcase in Lagos in more than 40 years. Other notable artists included Cyrus Kabiru,

Sokari Douglas Camp Sokari Douglas Camp CBE (born 1958 in Nigeria) is a London-based artist who has had exhibitions all over the world and was the recipient of a bursary from the Henry Moore Foundation. She was honoured as a Commander of the Order of the British ...

CBE,

, Paul Onditi, Victor Butler, Nike Davies-Okundaye, Tadesse Mesfin, and Aboudia, among others. Speakers at ART X Talks, included

CBE,

Chika Okeke-Agulu Chika Okeke-Agulu () is a Nigerian artist, art historian, art curator, and blogger specializing in African and African diaspora art history. He lives in Princeton, New Jersey. Biography Chika Okeke-Agulu was born in Umuahia in Nigeria in 19 ...

, Aboubakar Fofana,

Peju Layiwola Peju Layiwola is an art Historian and visual artist from Nigeria who works in a variety of media and genre. She is listed as a "21st Century Avant-Garde" in the book ''Art Cities of the Future'' published by Phaidon Press She is currently a P ...

, HRM Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, and Meskerem Assegued.

Fourth edition

The fourth edition was held from 1 to 3 November 2019, and welcomed visitors from across the world, with more than 90 artists exhibited from 25 countries. The 2019 edition saw the introduction of ART X Modern, a section of the fair dedicated to pioneers of African modern art from the mid-20th century, as well as a Performance Pavilion, featuring three performance works over the weekend. A key highlight of the 2019 fair was ART X Talks, which featured a keynote address from

Wangechi Mutu Wangechi Mutu (born 1972) is a Kenyan-born American visual artist, known primarily for her painting, sculpture, film, and performance work.Emeka Ogboh Emeka Ogboh (born 1977) is a Nigerian sound and installation artist best known for his soundscapes of life in Lagos. Trained as an artist, he began working with sounds that characterize cities following an Egyptian multimedia art program. He p ...

, N'Goné Fall, Kathryn Weir, Joel Benson and Reni Folawiyo. Yusuf Grillo,

Ablade Glover Ablade Glover Order of the Volta, CV (born 1934) is a Ghanaian artist and educator. He has exhibited widely, building an international reputation over several decades, as well as being regarded as a seminal figure on the West African art scen ...

, Joy Labinjo, Sam Nhlengethwa, Nelson Makamo, Titza Berhanu, Jems Koko Bi, Demas Nwoko,

Lady Skollie Lady Skollie (born Laura Windvogel in 1987) is a South African feminist artist and activist from Cape Town, currently living in Johannesburg. Life Lady Skollie's art education began when her mother enrolled her in Frank Joubert Art Centre, now ...

, and

Uche Okeke Christopher Uchefuna Okeke (; April 30, 1933 – January 5, 2016), also known as Uche Okeke (), was an illustrator, painter, sculptor, and teacher. He was an art and aesthetic theorist, seminal to Nigerian modernism. Background Christopher Uche ...

were among the notable artists exhibited in this edition. The fair featured a range of curated projects featuring the work of Emeka Ogboh, curated by Tayo Ogunbiyi, as well as three performance pieces curated by Wura-Natasha Ogungi.

Fifth edition

The fifth edition was held from 2 to 9 December 2020, welcoming guests from 101 countries to a showcase of more than 200 artworks. It was presented as an online-only art fair on the relaunche
ARTXLAGOS.COM
and was bolstered by an extensive virtual programme of 13 events. The 2020 edition saw the presentation of ''New Nigeria Studios'', an online exhibition that showcased the stories of select photographers, filmmakers and protesters who took to the streets of Nigeria in October 2020, as well as ART X Review - The Wrap Up with

, a masterclass for emerging artists discussing the growth, place and potential of the artist in today's world. A key highlight of the 2020 fair was ART X Talks, which featured critically acclaimed artist

Hank Willis Thomas Hank Willis Thomas (born 1976 in Plainfield, New Jersey; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY) is an American conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to identity, history, and popular culture. Early life and education Hank Willis Th ...

and

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, co-founder of

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police br ...

. Other notable speakers included Folarin "Falz" Falana, Lola Ogunnaike, Freda Isingoma, Lemi Ghariokwu, Yagazie Emezi and Kelechi Amadi-Obi. The exhibiting artists included Ouattara Watts, Ben Osawe, François-Xavier Gbré,

, Nike Okundaye Davies, Boris Nzebo, Aboudia, Abe Odedina, Angele Etoundi Essamba, Olu Ajayi, Wole Lagunju and Tiffanie Delune among others. The fair's programme also featured ART X Live! Presents "Like Someone's Watching", the special project Graveyard of Ideas, as well as "40 Minutes with…".

Sixth edition

The sixth edition was held from 4 to 7 November 2021 at The Federal Palace Lagos, and extended online till 21 November at ARTXLAGOS.COM. It welcomed 30 leading galleries, presenting artworks by 120 artists from Africa and its diaspora. It featured a range of curated projects, including "Future Africa" and "Unfolding Layers of Time" curated by Aude Christel Mgba, and an interactive project "We Are Here" curated by AWCA. ART X Talks featured critically acclaimed speakers including a conversation in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Notable speakers included Prince Yemisi Shyllon, Kavita Chellaram, Osinachi, Hakeem Adedeji,

Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung (born in 1977 in Yaoundé, Cameroon) is a contemporary art curator and writer. He lives in Berlin. Early life and education Ndikung moved to Germany in 1997 to study at the Technical University of Berlin, Technical ...

, Kelani Abass, Emmanuel Iduma and Nengi Omuku. Key highlights of the 2021 fair included "Reloading…", an NFT exhibition featuring 10 of Africa's most exciting digital artists in collaboration with SuperRare, curated by Africa's foremost crypto-artist Osinachi, and Maurice Chapot and Ayo Lawson and "Art of Yusuf Grillo", a special presentation by kó in celebration of the life and legacy of acclaimed Nigerian artist Yusuf Grillo. Exhibiting artists at the fair included Amoako Boafo, Aboudia, J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere,

Mous Lamrabat Moustapha "Mous" Lamrabat (born 1983) is a Moroccan-born Belgian photographer, of Moroccan and Flemish descent. He is known for both fashion photography under Studio Mousmous, and fine art photography. Biography Lamrabat was born in Temsama ...

, Benji Reid, Ouattara Watts, Nike Okundaye Davies, Joana Choumali, Boris Nzebo, Anjel (Boris Anje), Dmitri Fagbouhoun among others.

The Access Bank ART X Prize

The ART X Prize was launched by ART X Lagos, in partnership with Access Bank, to contribute to the continued growth of the visual art sector in Nigeria. The 2016 and 2017 editions of the prize centred on young artists, and were won by Patrick Akpojotor and Habeeb Andu. In 2018, the prize evolved to bolster the efforts of emerging artists who have demonstrated a commitment to careers as professional visual artists. Bolatito Aderemi-Ibitola, a multi-disciplinary artist, emerged as the winner, receiving a cash grant towards the execution of a compelling project and a solo presentation at the 2018 edition of ART X Lagos, as well as a three month residency at Gas Works in London in 2019. In 2019, the Prize was renamed as the Access Bank ART X Prize. It was won by self-taught documentary photographer Etinosa Yvonne. After a hiatus due to Covid-19, the Access Bank ART X Prize returned in 2021, with visual artist Chigozie Obi emerging as the winner.

ART X Live!

ART X Live! is a platform for expression and experimentation by Africa's dynamic young creators, fusing music and visual art, launched in 2016 by ART X Collective – the creators of ART X Lagos, West Africa's premier international art fair. ART X Live! is an immersive, one-of-a-kind showcase that holds during the ART X Lagos art fair each year, featuring exciting collaborations between some of the fastest-rising talents on the African continent. ART X Live! alumni include Falana, WurlD,

Lady Donli Zainab Elizabeth Donli, known as Lady Donli, is a Nigerian musician. She is an alternative R&B, hip hop, alternative jazz and Afrobeat singer and songwriter. Biography Lady Donli was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She is the youngest of six childr ...

Amaarae } Ama Serwah Genfi, known professionally as Amaarae, is a Ghanaian singer known for her work around representation of gender and race in music. After collaborating with local artists and putting out a few non-album singles, she released her debut ...

, TMXO, Odunsi the Engine,

Wavy the Creator Jennifer Ejoke, professionally known as Wavy the Creator (stylized as Wavy The Creator), is a recording artist, photographer, fashion designer and film-maker, born in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria and raised in the United States. She is best known for ...

, and Teni the Entertainer and visual artists Dafe Oboro, Joy Matashi, Williams Chechet, Dricky, Tunde Alara, Osaze Amadasun, Tomisin Akins, and Fadekemi Ogunsanya. For its first virtual edition in 2020, necessitated by the global pandemic, ART X Live! premiered ''Like Someone's Watching'', a short performance film starring musicians Oxlade and Tomi Owó, visual artist King Jesse Uranta, and DJ Camron that weaves together music video performances, interviews, digital artwork and a DJ set, probing both the burden and the privilege of creating as an artist. The soundtrack of the film includes music by Oxlade and Tomi Owó and a set created by DJ Camron of revolutionary, activist-inspired music, that spanned decades and continents. The sixth edition, titled "Forward Ever", was a live performance held on 6 November 2021 and was watched both in person and virtually around the world, curated by Lanre Masha, Faridah Folawiyo and Ayo Lawson, produced by BigFoot and Pheelz and featuring musicians Lojay, AYLØ, Dami Oniru alongside the visual artists AMKMQ and Fez.

References

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External links

Official website
__FORCETOC__ Art festivals in Lagos Culture in Lagos State Annual events in Lagos Recurring events established in 2016 2016 establishments in Nigeria