ART X Lagos, West Africa’s premier international art fair, will return from 6-15 November with a hybrid digital/physical offering that demonstrates the fair’s commitment to artistic excellence from Africa and its Diaspora in the face of logistical and commercial challenges wrought by the global coronavirus crisis.
ART X Lagos 2020 will present works online via the soon to be relaunched ARTXLAGOS.COM and Artsy. It will also stage an ambitious public art exhibition titled Garden of Tomorrow in Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria – a space for reflection and community – to give back to the people of Lagos and Nigeria during this trying year.
This year, ART X Lagos takes a new perspective on histories grounded in Africa and its people, both living on the continent and in the Diaspora. This fifth anniversary edition of ART X Lagos provides a place for communities to consider how we might move forward, together, despite the challenges in our midst. It will feature ten galleries from around the world with a focus on African artists, including Bloom Art, Kó (formerly Arthouse – The Space), Nike Art Gallery, Ed Cross Fine Art, Galerie MAM Douala, LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery, Nubuke Foundation, SMO Contemporary and Out
Tokini Peterside, ART X Collective Founder & CEO said:
“This year has tested the very essence of our humanity, and has brought upheaval to us all, with unique challenges to artists and entrepreneurs in the culture sector. As the world recovers from the ongoing pandemic, we have created a new hybrid format for the fair in anticipation of the direction in which the world now appears to be going. The fifth edition of ART X Lagos will be the culmination of creativity, grit and purpose, in spite of adversity. Our previous editions have shown ourselves, and the world, what is possible when we come together united by our passion and enthusiasm for our continent’s creators. Our belief remains, that the future is bright for Africa and its creative talent, and we are thankful to our community for joining us to make this a reality.”
In addition to presenting work by Africa’s leading galleries and artists, ART X Lagos’ 2020 programme includes:
Garden of Tomorrow, the fair’s special public art exhibition of works from Nigeria’s most exciting contemporary artists, which will deliver powerful messages through the unique practices of over thirty featured artists, to stand as an expression of community and collaboration within Nigeria as its people weather one of the most trying periods in recent history.
ART X Talks, a lively and compelling series of conversations that brings the intellect and experience of leading figures from the African art world to bear on important topics such as the African art economy and the fusion of traditional art practice with contemporary approaches;
ART X Live!, a dynamic visual art and live music fusion event showcasing emerging talent in a unique virtual experiment;
ART X Review – The Wrap Up, a new mentoring opportunity for young talent designed to encourage budding artists;
THE ART X LAGOS 2020 PROGRAMME:
ARTXLAGOS.COM
Relaunching this November, the new ART X Lagos website will be a dynamic digital platform that recreates the breadth, diversity, and excitement of the fair virtually. A robust catalogue of art will be available to purchase from participating galleries showcasing various facets of African expression.
‘Garden of Tomorrow’ Public Art Exhibition
Each year, ART X Lagos includes a series of Curated Projects that highlight today’s most experimental mediums and showcase the multidisciplinary artists working in them. In 2020, ART X Lagos will present a landmark project in partnership with Access Bank and the Government of Lagos State. Titled Garden of Tomorrow, this collaboration will take the form of an ambitious outdoor public art exhibition at Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Garden of Tomorrow will be exhibited for 10 days at Muri Okunola Park in Victoria Island, Lagos from 6th to 15th November 2020. The featured works and their installation will showcase the diverse contemporary artists working in Nigeria today. The exhibition will deliver powerful messages through the unique practices of over thirty featured artists, and will stand as an expression of community and collaboration within Lagos and Nigeria as the regions weather one of the most trying periods in recent history. Works by emerging, experimental artists will appear alongside work by more established artists. Acknowledging the present state of visual art in Nigeria, the larger aim of the exhibition is to point towards potential futures in contemporary African art, society at large, and the positioning of creative expression as an inextricable catalyst for future progress.
ART X Talks:
On the fair’s opening weekend of Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, ART X Lagos will gather key figures within the African art scene to discuss important and timely topics including the influence of the traditional Nigerian art practice uli and the significance of African collectors on the continent’s economy.
ART X Live! Presents “Like No One’s Watching”
On Saturday 7 November, ART X Lagos will present an evening of experimental visual art and music curated by Faridah Folawiyo and Lanre Masha. The virtual has taken centre-stage in 2020, and for this year’s edition of ART X Live!, the curators ask what it means for an artist to create in a year like this. Moreover, what it is like to create without an idea of one’s audience.
Four artists (two musicians and two visual artists) will work together, with the result of that collaboration being ART X Live!, allowing the artists the ultimate freedom; creating without the anticipation of immediate consumption, criticism, or acclaim.
ART X Live! 2020 is sponsored by Tangerine.
ART X Review – The Wrap Up
ART X Review – a mentoring opportunity for young talent launched by ART X Collective in May – will have its conclusion on Sunday 8 November in ‘ART X Review – The Wrap Up’. Budding artists will have the opportunity to ask direct questions to an established artist in a web session about their practice, career, and outlook. Select works by young artists will also be shown during the session.
ART X LAGOS 2020 6-15 November 2020
