a New Era of African Creativity
A decade after redefining Africa’s art landscape, ART X Lagos marks its tenth anniversary with a vibrant celebration that reaffirms Lagos as the continent’s creative heartbeat.
Yinka Olatunbosun reports
Ten years ago, in Lagos — Nigeria’s vibrant commercial capital — a bold vision took root. ART X Lagos, conceived by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig as an international art fair, made its debut and instantly electrified the country’s art scene. The arrival of international galleries and media signalled a new era for African contemporary art.
Now in 2025, West Africa’s leading art fair returned in grand style for its tenth edition, tagged “10X.” Held from November 6 to 9 at the Federal Palace, Lagos, the milestone fair featured an expanded format, new venues, and a rich line-up of exhibitions and performances celebrating a decade of African creativity.
Since its 2016 debut, ART X Lagos has become a cornerstone of Africa’s art ecosystem and a global destination, attracting galleries and artists from more than 70 countries and participants from over 170 nations.
This year’s edition brought together a formidable curatorial team — Lanre Masha, Missla Libsekal, Jumoke Sanwo, and Fikayo Adebajo — whose programming spanned visual art, music, film, design, and literature.
Over the years, the fair has amplified the voices of African artists and curators while inspiring the emergence of Lagos Art Week and a thriving annual art season. Today, it anchors Nigeria’s cultural calendar and reinforces Lagos’s status as a global creative hub.
Reflecting on the journey, Peterside-Schwebig said: “Our tenth edition marks an important milestone and a moment to reflect on how Nigeria’s art scene has evolved. From the outset, our vision was to champion how African creativity is seen and valued. That vision has grown into a movement connecting artists, communities, and audiences across borders.”
For its landmark anniversary, ART X Lagos expanded across four locations within the Federal Palace — including the Balmoral Marquee, Ballroom Marquee, Lobby, and Waterfront Garden — with 15 curated galleries showcasing leading and emerging artists from Africa and its diaspora.
The debut Spotlight Galleries section introduced a new generation of exhibitors such as ADEGBOLA, AMG Projects, and Nomadic Art Gallery.
Special projects curated by Missla Libsekal featured Nengi Omuku’s “External Realities, Internal Geographies”, sponsored by Chapel Hill Denham, and Temitayo Ogunbiyi’s “Where There Is Life, There Is Hope”, sponsored by emPLE, both exploring art’s relationship with memory and environment.
A highlight of the fair was the inaugural ART X ICON exhibition, An Exacting Eye, honouring legendary photographer J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere, sponsored by Zenith Bank. His six-decade archive offered a powerful record of Nigeria’s social evolution. A related Masterclass, led by his son Amaize Ojeikere, mentored young photographers, while Rachel Seidu’s live studio, Portraits of Modernity, invited visitors to co-create contemporary cultural artefacts.
Sculptural installations also took centre stage — Dennis Osadebe’s “MASS (Devotion)” reimagined collective spirituality, while Sokari Douglas Camp’s “Asoebi” forged ceremonial fabric into steel, transforming softness into strength.
Other highlights included The Library, sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Pensions, a reflective space featuring works by Bruce Onobrakpeya and materials from the G.A.S. Foundation Art Library; and The Speakers’ Corner, curated by Fikayo Adebajo, a participatory installation by Mitimeth inspired by the resilience of mangroves.
ART X Cinema, curated by Tega Okiti, screened works by Akinola Davies (My Father’s Shadow) and Mati Diop (Dahomey, Atlantique), while ART X Live!, sponsored by EnjoyCorp, thrilled audiences with performances by The Cavemen, LLona, Braye, and Ameaya under the theme From the Roots.
At ART X Talks, leading voices including Akinbode Akinbiyi, Mati Diop, and Nike Davies-Okundaye shared insights in a rare intergenerational dialogue with masters Bruce Onobrakpeya, Jimoh Buraimoh, and Muraina Oyelami, in partnership with kó gallery.
In commemoration of its tenth year, ART X Lagos launched Resonance, an annual Paris residency for artists, designers, and curators, in partnership with the Embassy of France in Nigeria and Cité Internationale des Arts. The inaugural fellows — Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Olorunfemi Adewuyi, and Tony Agbapuonwu — will each undertake three-month residencies in Paris.
Educational and family-focused programmes, including the Schools’ Programme, The Development Forum, and Tales by Moonlight, reaffirmed the fair’s commitment to community engagement and creative continuity.
As ART X Lagos 2025 concludes, it stands as more than an art fair — it is a movement redefining how African creativity is celebrated and understood. A decade after its inception, the dream born in Lagos continues to illuminate Africa’s boundless artistic horizon.
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