From Dotun Omisakin, Lagos
The ninth edition of the West Africa’s International art fair, ART X Lagos, has kicked off with 10 galleries on display, projecting artists’ works across the African continent and Europe.
The 2024 galleries include: Afriart Gallery (Uganda), Alexis Gallery (Nigeria), Galerie MAM (Cameroon), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Affinity Art Gallery (Nigeria), Kanbi Projects (UK), kó (Nigeria), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), ODA Art Gallery (Nigeria) and Tiwani Contemporary (UK).
The founder of ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, stated this, saying this year’s edition, themed: ‘Promise Land,’ is aimed at presenting a cross-section of artists making unique contributions to the visual arts ecosystem and reinforce ART X Lagos’ mission to promote artistic excellence and cross-cultural collaboration.
“This year, the fair will continue its commitment to highlighting African art, culture, and community, while fostering critical conversations on the social and political transformations shaping the continent.
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“At Art X, we have always believed in the power of culture to unlock potential in Nigeria, Africa to inspire to connect and remind us of who we are and this year this year it will take our minds to a place of hope and possibilities,” she said.
According to her, this year’s edition offers the opportunities to honour and showcase the virtues of some unsung heroes which includes late Hebert Wigwe, former CEO of Access bank; Jonathan Adagogo Green, first photographer, August Agboola Browne; the first west African to record a jazz sound and Nana Asma’u; a poet and teacher.
Daily Trust reports that Wigwe was a lover of Arts who adored, celebrated and supported Artists in his lifetime.
Access Bank is also a prime sponsor of the exhibition annually.
The founder said the essence of showcasing the virtues of the unsung heroes was aimed at arousing nostalgia and igniting young ones about the heroic feats achieved by Nigerians in the past.
“We are mindful of the fact that there are many aspects of the society that should come into this experience and so one of the first groups of the society that we look at was school children.We will have about 800 children coming in from different communities in Lagos to experience this fair.
“If I take them to the project mark makers; this project talks about unsung pioneers, as Nigerians will say a lot that we have bad examples around us.
“The mark markers project will speak about Nigeria’s Nana which some of us have not heard of, but Nigerians in the past did exceptional things and we need to know today to know that Nigerians have done and continue to do exceptional things,” she said.
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