ART X LAGOS: A DECADE OF CREATIVITY, COMMUNITY & CULTURAL POWER

ART X Lagos, the leading contemporary art fair in Nigeria and a major platform for African creativity, is marking its 10th edition with a renewed sense of purpose and cultural pride. At the press launch event, Founder and Chairwoman Tokini Peterside-Schwebig reflected on the vision that sparked the fair and the movement it has become: “To champion how African creativity is seen, celebrated, and valued. To show that our stories, our art, and our ideas can stand proudly on the world stage. That dream began right here in Lagos. It couldn’t have been anywhere else.”

Over the past decade, the fair has welcomed more than 700,000 visitors from over 170 countries across physical and virtual spaces, helping cement Lagos among the world’s most vibrant cultural capitals. From the start, Peterside-Schwebig said ART X Lagos set out to be “more than just an art fair.” It has grown into “a transformative cultural catalyst” that nurtures new voices, elevates established ones, inspires fresh narratives, and contributes to Africa’s creative economy. Its impact is now recorded in the first-ever ART X Lagos Impact Report, marking ten years of cultural exchange and innovation.

This milestone edition will feature 15 curated galleries showcasing a diverse mix of emerging and established artists from Africa and its diaspora. Participating galleries include SMO Contemporary, Nike Art Gallery, Wunika Mukan Gallery, Tiwani Contemporary, O’DA Art, Affinity Art, Yenwa Gallery, Alexis Galleries, Gallery 1957, AfriArt Gallery, and Galerie MAM. A new Spotlight Section will debut presentations by ADEGBOLA, AMG Projects, and Nomadic Art Gallery, three emerging galleries delivering focused solo exhibitions from some of the continent’s most exciting rising artists.

As part of the fair’s growing ecosystem, ART X Live! returns with trailblazing musicians and visual artists delivering an exceptional performance curated by Lanre Masha. This year’s show, themed “From the Roots,” will feature The Cavemen, Amaeya, Llona, and Braye. The Development Forum, curated by Fikayo Adebajo, continues its mission to open up pathways for young artists through conversations with industry professionals. It introduces a new Speakers’ Corner aimed at encouraging intimate readings and deeper connection.

ART X Cinema, curated by Tega Okiti, will present immersive audio-visual works from filmmakers across Africa and its diaspora, including “My Father’s Shadow” by Akinola Davies, and films by Mati Diop. Meanwhile, ART X Talks will welcome influential voices such as Akinbode Akinbiyi, Amaize Ojeikere, and Mati Diop, alongside special sessions featuring Bruce Onobrakpeya, Jimoh Buraimoh, Muraina Oyelami, and Nike Davies-Okundaye, in partnership with kó Gallery. Art Across Borders, sponsored by Afreximbank and now in its fifth edition, will show the works of Edson Chagas, Mário Macilau, Nicène Kossentini, Fatoumata Diabaté, Kudzanai Chiurai, and Camille Chedda as they explore belonging and decolonial narratives.

The fair also emphasized its strong educational focus. It introduced Resonance, a new annual residency in Paris in partnership with the Embassy of France in Nigeria and the Cité Internationale des Arts, with inaugural fellows Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Olorunfemi Adewuyi, and Tony Agbapuonwu set to embark on three-month residencies. Community programming remains key, with Kids at ART X Lagos featuring storytelling sessions including Tales by Moonlight with writer Oluwalanu Agusto and artist Bruce Onobrakpeya, children’s art exhibitions, and hands-on workshops such as The Tide Wall.

“Thank you very much… We have truly built an ecosystem over the last 10 years,” Peterside-Schwebig concluded, acknowledging the partners, advisory board, and team driving the platform forward. As ART X Lagos prepares to celebrate ten years of ambition, imagination, and African excellence, its next chapter is already being shaped, one that continues to “reimagine the ways in which Africa tells its story to the world.”