Our vision for the fair this year, presented through ‘The Dialogue’, will feature artists, both past and present, whose story forms based on folklore and tales by moonlight, graphic stories, film shorts and essays, produce nuanced portrayals of real and imagined places and people, and respond to, and subsequently navigate through, socio-political circumstances in Nigerian, pan-African and Diasporan histories
Special guest artist, Onobrakpeya with founder/director of ART X, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, and another guest at the Fair
AS the 8th season of ART X, perhaps Africa’s biggest visual arts project writes up today, the most anticipated event is the session that would be anchored on the life and illustrious career of Nigeria’s preeminent artist, the nonagenarian, Professor Bruce Onibrakpeya.
The session holding 4 pm under the theme “Writing for the Times” will have the artist-philosopher Pa Onobrakpeya interlocuted by the theatre director/producer and art activist Ifeoma Fafunwa, who has made quite a reputation as the director and producer of the highly successful play, Hear Words.
Taking off at 4pm, Writing for the Times, states the 2023 Fair Guide, “focuses on Bruce Onobrakpeya’s work to retrieve and reinterpret texts written for the ear and reshaped into modern art. It draws connections between the world of literature and printmaking and explores the artist’s relationship with key literary figures such as Cyprian Ekwensi, Wole Soyinka, Amos Tutuola and more.”
‘Writing With…’ curated by Missla Libsekal, is of the ART X special projects, and it features the work of Onobrakpeya, a founding figure of modern art in Nigeria, mounted conspicuously near the entrance to the fairground.
On the heels of the Onibrakpeya talk will be the session on Reimagining Patronage as a Form of Practice, a session with the rarely seen collector and art patron, Femi Lijadu, which will be moderated by the art entrepreneur, and founder of Bloom Art, Ugoma Ebilah. Holding at 6 pm, this will be the final plenary in the Art X 8.0.
Other major conversations structured around ‘the ART X 2023’s theme, The Dialogue’ , included one by Ibrahim Mahama, the artist and founder of The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (Tamale, Ghana), who spoke on the ideas and ethics behind his work.
The big exhibition project, ART X 2023 will thereafter adjourn to its 9th session in 2024.
Guests to the Fair
ART X Lagos, the leading international art fair in West Africa, in its eighth edition, has run from November 2-5, 2023 at the Federal Palace, Victoria Island, Lagos, with a compelling multi-disciplinary programme themed ‘The Dialogue’.
A feel of the pulse at the Fair
ART X Live!, the fair’s one-of-a-kind live music and art experience, returns in 2023, featuring the multi-hyphenate musicians Tay Iwar and Azekel in a night of exceptional musical storytelling, curated by Lanre Masha and Ayo Lawson.
“2023 has brought with it an exacerbation of the challenges experienced in recent years across Nigeria and Africa, and in this pivotal year, we recognise that ART X Lagos’ evolving role as a gathering place for our community, is all the more crucial,” Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder & CEO of ART X Collective said.
“Our vision for the fair this year, presented through ‘The Dialogue’, will feature artists, both past and present, whose story forms based on folklore and tales by moonlight, graphic stories, film shorts and essays, produce nuanced portrayals of real and imagined places and people, and respond to, and subsequently navigate through, socio-political circumstances in Nigerian, pan-African and Diasporan histories.”
Excerpt from Peterside-Schwebig; “It will see us placing an emphasis on conversations, and providing a space in which we can learn together, question together, and be inspired to contribute to shaping the society we desire for ourselves and for future generations. As we probe deeper this year, and as we have done in recent years, we are pushing further the boundaries of the ‘art fair’, challenging and testing the notion of what an art fair can be, and orchestrating its evolution and adaptation to the uniqueness of a city like Lagos and its contexts.”
Galleries for ART X Lagos include Afriart Gallery (Uganda), Alexis Galleries (Nigeria), Galerie MAM (Cameroon), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), kó art space (Nigeria), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), O’DA Art Gallery (Nigeria), SMO Contemporary Art (Nigeria), Tiwani Contemporary (UK/ Nigeria) and Wunika Mukan Gallery (Nigeria).
The 2023 fair also witnessed the return of ART X Lagos’ developmental platforms, designed to foster connection, encourage exchange, and celebrate the vibrancy of African artistry. Art Across Borders, a collaboration with Afreximbank, presented its third volume, bringing together six artists from diverse corners of Africa and the Caribbean, representing the innovative spirit that defines contemporary art by individuals of African descent. The Development Forum, which bridges the gap between emerging art practitioners and the art industry through informal conversations, delved into the various paths open to emerging artists and curators to build and advance their careers within the industry.
The Access ART X Prize, a prestigious award for early-career artists in Africa and its Diaspora, presented a duo exhibition curated by Jumoke Sanwo featuring 2022 winners Dafe Oboro and Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński. The 2023 edition was adjudged by a jury including Babajide Adeniyi-Jones, Barthélémy Toguo, Daudi Karungi, Gabi Ngcobo, Emeka Ogboh, and Yesomi Umolu. The winners would observe a residency at Gasworks London (for the Nigerian Prizewinner) or GAS Foundation Lagos (for the Africa/Diaspora Prizewinner) and be awarded exhibitions at the ART X Lagos fair in 2024, supported by grants of $10,000 each for their exhibitions.
Onobrakpeya with the legendary founder of Nike Arts Gallery, Nike Okundaye
Patron of ART X, Atedo Peterside with guests to the Fair
Founder SMO Contemporaries, Sandra Obiago with a guest
Gallerist, Wunika Mukan with a guest at her booth
Onobrakpeya with his staff at the Ovuomaroro Gallery and Bruce Onobrakpeya Foundation
ART X Live….
