In the last nine years, Art X Lagos has expanded to become the leading international art fair in West Africa. Every year, the fair becomes even more intentional in its format, curation, and audience-engaging programs as they acknowledge the dire economic situation in Nigeria. For its return this year, Art X Lagos continued in the spirit of fostering dialogue, prompting interconnectivity, and diverse collaborations. “It’s not business as usual in Nigeria and we want to be part of a solution-orientated society,” says Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Art X Lagos founder.
Developed by Ethiopian Independent curator Missla Libsekal, the theme for Art X Lagos 2024 was ‘Promised Lands’. This was an invitation for the audience to explore and engage ideas of ‘Promised Lands’, the notion of places, real or imagined, which one actively seeks out to greatly improve on one’s situation.
The curation of this theme featured: exhibitions from selected galleries; interactive installations featuring diverse voices in the art world; an immersive audio-visual experience for Art X Cinema’s second year; art across borders highlighting the innovative spirit that defines different continent’s regions; the Art X Library; an open dialogue between the new generation of African artists and the established, professional art industry; and a unique concert experience blending music, visual art and live performance.
“It’s always thinking about the context here and trying to respond in a way that allows us to feel through art, to feel connected, to be able to think,” says Libsekal in a conversation with The Art Newspaper. “The dialogue projects [involving collaborations and conversations between artists at the last edition] did that in their own way, and I feel like we’re taking it to the next level because there’s also a lot of audience engagement.”
From October 31 to November 3 at the Federal Palace Hotel, the 10 selected galleries featured works from a diverse mix of emerging and established artists from across Lagos, Accra, Uganda, Cameroon, and London. The galleries included were kó, Nike Art Gallery, Tiwani Contemporary, Afriart Gallery, O’DA Art Gallery, Alexis Galleries, Galerie MAM, Kanbi Projects, and Gallery 1957.
This year’s edition of Art X Lagos encourages us to think about the effort, participation and imagination required for us to arrive at our promised lands.
What does ‘Promised Lands’ mean to you?
Iyanuoluwa Adenle is a Nigerian art writer, essayist, and poet based in Lagos. She is currently the head writer at Omenai. Adenle has contributed to a number of art publications, including Tender Photo, Art News Africa, Pavillon 54, and Omenai.
