Art X Returns For 6th Edition

Art X Lagos, the prestigious art fair has begun the process of rolling the offerings for its 2021 fare out. Centered around the fair’s curatorial theme “the restful ones are not yet born” presents an opportunity to challenge projected images and clichés about the African continent with reinvented modalities of our presence in the world. It will make a return this year from the 4th to 7th of November 2021 at Lagos’ Federal Palace Hotel as a hybrid virtual and in person experience.

Tokini Peterside, ART X Collective Founder & CEO revealed that for its largest fair to date, ART X Lagos will bring together 110 artists from 25 countries represented by 30 galleries – 15 of which are new to ART X Lagos. The galleries representing artists in both the physical and online fairs include Afriart Gallery (Kampala, Uganda), DADA Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria and London, United Kingdom), Galerie Atiss Dakar (Dakar, Senegal), Galerie Cécile Fakhoury (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Dakar, Sénégal; and Paris, France), Galerie MAM (Douala, Cameroon), Gallery 1957 (Accra, Ghana and London, United Kingdom), Kanbi Projects (London, United Kingdom), LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire), Nike Art Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria), OOA Gallery (Barcelona, Spain), Pacers Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria), SEPTIEMEGallery (Paris, France), and SMO Contemporary Art (Lagos, Nigeria).

kó (Lagos, Nigeria) will also unveil a special presentation dedicated to the late pioneer, Yusuf Grillo.

ART X Live!, the live music experience curated by Lanre Masha, Faridah Folawiyo and Ayo Lawson will feature an intimate music showcase by Dami Oniru, Lojay, Aylo alongside visual artists Fez and AMKMQ. These artists will be invited to think about the various ways in which their work has been subjected to a combination of influences, as they subvert Western art forms and make them their own. It will be themed “Forward Ever”,  a nod to the country’s history that encourages the artists to depict what an “ideal Nigeria” means to them moving forward.

Chigozie Obi, a multi-dimensional visual artist also emerged as the winner of Access Bank Art X Prize’s 2021 art competition.

The winner was awarded a N1,800,000 grant; a three-month residency at Gasworks, London; and a solo booth presentation at ART X Lagos in 2022. The winner of the Access Bank ART X Prize 2021 was announced at the official launch of the sixth edition of ART X Lagos, which was held on the 28th of September 2021.

The multi-dimensional visual artist was selected by a jury from five shortlisted finalists, which included: Chukwudi Onwumere, Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Nyancho NwaNri, and Omoregie Osakpolor. Prior to the announcement, the finalists had participated in the Finalists’ Forum, a two-day intensive program designed to support their creative practice and prepare them for their final presentations to the jury.