ART X Lagos last week unveiled the 13 leading international art galleries selected for its 2017 edition.

The art fair will feature over 60 artists from 14 countries across Africa and the Diaspora. In only its 2^nd year, ART X Lagos has already emerged as the premier international art fair in West Africa. With the success of its 2016 maiden edition, which drew an audience of over 5,000 people, this year’s edition promises to be even more fascinating, with new, vibrant content aimed at reaching a wider audience.

The 2017 edition will include exhibiting galleries and artists, special curated projects, a programme of talks, the ART X Prize, and a music show – ART X Live!

The 13 Exhibiting Galleries for the 2017 edition include: Art House – The Space (Nigeria), Bloom Art (Nigeria), Fondation Donwahi (Ivory Coast), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Galerie Atiss (Senegal), Gallery MAM (Cameroon), Nubuke Foundation (Ghana), Retro Africa (Nigeria), Signature Beyond (Nigeria), SMO Contemporary (Nigeria), Stevenson Gallery (South Africa), TAFETA (United Kingdom), and Tiwani Contemporary (United Kingdom).

Notable artists among the 2017 line-up include the Nigerian-born, British-based, globally renowned artist and sculptor Yinka Shonibare MBE, as well as Zanele Muholi (South Africa), Jeremiah Quarshie (Ghana), Modupeola Fadugba (Nigeria), Nandipha Mntambo (Swaziland), Virginia Chihota(Zimbabwe), Boris Nzebo (Cameroon), Babajide Olatunji(Nigeria), Pamela Phatsimo Sunstrum (Botswana), Amadou Sanogo (Mali) and Portia Zvavahera (Zimbabwe). In addition, ART X Lagos has invited four independent artists to present a curated selection of their own works: Polly Alakija, Rom Isichei, Lakin Ogunbanwo and Oluseye.

This year’s art fair will also include curated projects across performance art, installation, photography and video art, to create a conversational show piece for ART X Lagos at The Civic Centre. The artists selected by Curator, Missla Libsekal, and Founder of art journal Another Africa are: Nastio Mosquito(Angola) and Pere Ortin, Lemi Ghariokwu (Lagos, Nigeria), Yaw Owusu (Accra, Ghana), Rahima Gambo (Abuja, Nigeria), Johnson Uwadinma (Port Harcourt, Nigeria), Olu Amoda(Lagos, Nigeria) and Wura Natasha Ogunji (Nigeria / USA). In addition, the Access Bank Collection will present to the general public for the first ever in Nigeria, seven wooden sculptures by Ben Enwonwu MBE, originally commissioned by the Daily Mirror in 1960, to mark the artist’s 100^th natal anniversary.

A programme of talks, also curated by Missla Libsekal, will include talks with Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the Nigerian-born LA-based artist recently shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize 2017, and Lemi Ghariokwu, the mastermind behind Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti’s album artwork.

Meanwhile A Whitespace Creative Agency will curate the Interactive Projects of the fair, to appeal to its vast and varied audience. The emerging artists to be featured this year include: Olalekan Jeyifous, Dipo Doherty, Queen Nwaneri, Soji Adesina, Sejiro Avoseh and Lubee Abubakar.

The art fair will see the return of ‘ART X Live! with Absolut‘, a live art and music performance featuring musicians AYE, Poe and Tomi Thomas, alongside talented visual artists. More so, Absolut and ART X Lagos will this year introduce the ‘ART X Absolut Commission’, an installation that responds to present day societal urgencies, supporting freedom of expression. The inaugural commission invites Olatunde Alara, a young artist living and working in Lagos, to respond to the theme ‘Artist as Citizen’.

Winner of the ART X Prize, sponsored by Access Bank, will be announced on the 5th of November, at the closing ceremony. The 2016 winner, Patrick Akpojotor will also be exhibiting at this year’s fair.

The 2017 edition of ART X Lagos is made possible by the generous, committed support of its sponsors, including – Access Bank (Gold Sponsor); Absolut (Silver Sponsor); Stanbic IBTC Pensions, Seven Up and Anap Jets (Bronze Sponsors); Chapel Hill Denham, Lufthansa, Metro Capital and Leadway Assurance (Sponsors) and other valued partners.

For more information please visit: www.artxlagos.com and @artxlagos on social media.

Check out photos below

Amaechi Okobi (Head, Strategic Brand Management, Access Bank), Tokini Peterside (Founder & Director, ART X Lagos), Femi Lijadu (Advisory Board Member), Craig Van Niekerk (Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard