SHONIBARE, 59 OTHER ARTISTS FOR ART X LAGOS
The word is out: 13 leading international art galleries, 60 artists will converge at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos for the second edition of the three-day international art fair, Art X Lagos. Among these is the BritishNigerian artist, Yinka Shonibare, whose phenomenal works had been the subject of discourse in many international media platforms and are reasons for a collective awe. Shonibare, who lives with a physical disability, performs most of his tasks through his sketches which are interpreted in sculptural forms by his assistants under his close supervision.
Meanwhile, Shonibare is just one of the many artists, both established and emerging, who will be around on November 3 for the VIP Preview of ArtX. Also featuring are 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).
With Missla Libsekal as curator, this year's fair will feature performance art, installation, photography and video art. The art conversations will be spread across the various areas of specializations which will help to build capacity in the field. To steer the wheels for this conversational showpiece, eight artists had been selected by the curator. They are Nastio Mosquito (Angola), Pere Ortin, Lemi Ghariokwu (Lagos), Yaw Owusu (Ghana), Rahima Gambo (Abuja), Johnson Uwadinma (Port Harcourt), Olu Amoda (Lagos), Wura Natasha Ogunji (Nigeria/ USA). Also included in the participants for the artists' talks are Njideka Akunyili Crosby, the Nigerian-born, US-based artist recently shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize 2017.
In her remarks during the press conference held at The Wheatbaker Hotel, Ikoyi, the founder and director, ArtX Lagos, Tokini Peterside, described the fair as a contribution to the positioning of modern and contemporary African art at the forefront.
“The world is waking up to the potential of Africa’s art market and we have witnessed very exciting developments in recent years, of which ArtX Lagos is one,” she began.
She established Art X to increase the visibility of Africa’s most innovative artists, and widen Nigeria's connection to the contemporary art scene. Although renowned art gallery owners have led the way in promoting many Nigerian and international artists, Tokini's idea for this edition is to create a melting pot for 13 galler- ies drawn from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, United Kingdom, Cameroon and Senegal as well as for stakeholders in these countries. Tokini further disclosed that one of the fair's leading sponsors, Access Bank will present its debut special collection- seven wooden sculptures by Ben Enwonwu MBE, originally commissioned by the Daily Mirror in 1960 to mark the artist's 100th natal anniversary.
At the wrap of the event on November 5, “ArtX Prize with Access” will be presented to the winner amongst the best young artists in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the most energetic segment of the fair, “ArtX Live! With Absolut” returns this year with its exciting lagoon-front live music. The Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, Craig Van Niekerk, who was the Absolut brand representative at the event, described the fair and the live show as “a natural fit for the Absolut brand”. Absolut will also partner with Art X to introduce the “Art X Absolut Commission” which is an installation that is created in response to present day societal urgencies, supporting freedom of expression. The inaugural commission will invite Olatunde Alara, a young artist living and working in Lagos.