A total of 18 leading international art galleries have been scheduled to feature at the 2018 ART X Lagos holding at the Civic Center, Lagos from November 2 to 4.

The founder and director, ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside, disclosed this at a media briefing held at Wheatbaker Hotel, in Lagos, on Monday.

Ms Peterside said the event would include exhibiting galleries and artists, special- curated projects, a programme of talks, the ART X Prize, and a music show.

The show will also see performances by Teni the Entertainer, Ghanaian musician Amaarae, and BOJ, accompanied by some of Lagos’ finest emerging visual and graphic artists.

The 18 exhibiting galleries include Art House – The Space (Nigeria), Addis Fine Art (Ethiopia), Circle Art Agency (Kenya), Stevenson Gallery (South Africa), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), Tafeta (United Kingdom), Tiwani Contemporary (United Kingdom), Nike Art Gallery (Nigeria), and Out of Africa Gallery (Spain) amongst others.

A selection committee led by Advisory Board members, N’Goné Fall, the renowned Senegalese curator, and Femi Lijadu chose these galleries. The latter is one of Nigeria’s most respected art collectors and leading commercial lawyers.

Renowned East African artists namely Kenya’s Paul Onditi and Cyrus Kabiru will also be exhibiting at the fair for the first time.

Ms Peterside, said, “After the success of ART X Lagos 2017 we are delighted to return for a third edition. We are validated in our decision to develop this vital platform for the growth and increased visibility of African artists and galleries.

“This would have been impossible without the phenomenal support of the galleries, sponsors and partners, who took a huge leap of faith and committed to support us from ground zero, for which we are most grateful. In six weeks, we will open the doors to ART X Lagos 2018. We look forward to welcoming a vast and varied, local and international audience as we seek to reinforce Lagos’ position as an emergent cultural capital on our continent.”

Internationally renowned artist, Yinka Shonibare MBE, who was announced as the keynote artist, will be celebrated with a highly anticipated exhibition, exploring his career highlights at the fair.

ART X Talks, which holds on November 3, is curated by Missla Libsekal, will feature a series of exciting and engaging talks from key stakeholders in Africa’s art economy.

Interactive Projects, which is curated by A Whitespace Creative Agency, will feature experiential platforms that explore ideas influenced by the exhilarating essence of Lagos.
The 2018 ART X Prize with Access winner, Bolatito Aderemi-Ibitola, will have a solo presentation of her project, ‘Scraps from Mama’s Floor’ at this year’s fair.

The organisers added that the theme this year invites guests to indulge in an electric exploration of Africa’s rich musical history with a celebration of our heroes past – the icons, legends and sounds that have shaped the continent’s contemporary musical landscape.

ART X Lagos was founded by Tokini Peterside and is supported by an Advisory Board comprised of – Labi Ogunbiyi, Dudun Peterside, Evelyn Oputu, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, Femi Lijadu and Jess Castellote.

Others are Junaid Dikko, N’Goné Fall, Papa Omotayo and Reni Folawiyo.