TOKINI PETERSIDE FOUNDER, ART X LAGOS
Tokini Peterside is the Founder and Director of ART X Lagos, West Africa’s first international contemporary art fair, which debuted in 2016 and featured the works of over 65 artists drawn from 10 countries across Africa and the Diaspora. She created ART X Lagos to widen Nigeria’s connection to the contemporary art scene in Africa and internationally, to contribute to the increased visibility of contemporary artists from Africa, and to position Lagos as an emergent cultural capital on the continent. What is your vision for ART X Lagos?
ART X Lagos was created to shine a spotlight, a truly global spotlight, on the art industry in Nigeria and across Africa. I wanted to build a pan-African platform that would bring together Africa’s most innovative artists and their galleries, to one destination, right here in Lagos, and would reinforce the importance of the visual arts within the creative sector in Africa.
ART X Lagos aims to position Lagos on the global calendar as a destination for art in Africa, and the aim is to build on the great work begun by many forerunners in the Nigerian art industry, to make this happen. Our fundamental objective is to magnify the patronage of African artists across the continent, and to inspire the future generations of African artists as well.
We do this by bringing together diverse artists, galleries and industry stakeholders from across the African continent and the Diaspora, for a 3-day art fair that we aim ultimately to position as one of the world’s foremost art destinations What would you like to see change in the art industry at large?
We established ART X Lagos to serve as a catalyst within the Nigerian and African art industry. We want to see thousands and eventually millions of people rediscover their appreciation for contemporary art, and ultimately patronize the phenomenal artists who produce this work. We want to grow the base of art collectors in Nigeria, w to motivate more Nigerians to collect art and to support our artists. Nigeria has a vast heritage of artistic production that stems back thousands of years, and we want to revive that culture of art appreciation on a massive scale.
Internationally, we want to see Lagos reckoned with as a dominant force for artistic production and collection within Africa. Lagos is already primed as a hub for art within West Africa, and through our work with ART X Lagos, we want to reinforce and expand that position. Have you seen an increase in art appreciation generally since the maiden edition of ART X Lagos?
Yes, definitely. The work we set out to do has already begun – more and more people are rediscovering their interest, love and admiration for contemporary art. We have seen a more diverse audience being welcomed into the recognized community of art lovers, especially the younger generation. Our debut art fair last year attracted over 5,000 visitors, and many within the art world were astounded at our numbers. ART X Lagos proved that there is an audience for contemporary art in Nigeria, and that there are thousands of people who are curious to know more, to be inspired and ultimately to acquire these works. We are excited to see how many more people this year will encounter the works of Africa’s most dynamic artists, through ART X Lagos.
ART X Lagos aims to position Lagos on the global calendar as a destination for art in Africa, and the aim is to build on the great work begun by many forerunners in the Nigerian art industry, to make this happen. Our fundamental objective is to magnify the patronage of African artists across the continent, and to inspire the future generations of African artists as well.