×

Subscribe to our newsletter

Highlights From the Previous Week, Partnered Events and Haikus. View our Newsletter archive

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

In its 6th edition, 1-54 Contemporary African Art fair presents a diversity of works at Somerset House, London from October 4-7

Scroll right to read more ›
Text by

The 54 countries of Africa come together at Somerset House, London, in a celebration of Contemporary African Art. The sixth edition of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair presents 43 galleries, over 130 artists and 11 solo shows. Since it was founded in 2013, the fair has expanded to include shows in New York and Marrakech. The Founding Director of 1-54, Touria El Glaoui, commented: “The growth and popularity of the fair is a real testament to the shift away from Euro-centric art-historical narratives.”

This shift in thinking is reflected upon and contributed to in FORUM – the fairs diverse talk and events program which, for the first time this year is curated by  Ekow Eshun, chairman of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group and Creative Director of Calvert 22 Foundation.

A few highlights of the fair include a public sculptural project by Ibrahim El-Salahi in Somerset House’s courtyard; the first major UK solo exhibition of South African artist Athi-Patra Ruga’s work; an immersive installation by British-Ghanaian artist Larry Achiampong; an experiential display in 1-54 Lounge by Shiraz Bayjoo and special projects with Nando’s Sulger Buel Lovell and 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning.

Among the exhibitors this year there are 16 galleries from Africa: Addis Fine Art, AFRONOVA GALLERY, AGorgi Gallery, ARTLabAfrica, Circle Art Gallery, Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, Gallery 1957, Loft Art Gallery, Mashrabia Gallery of Contemporary Art, MOVART Gallery, Retro Africa, Selma Feriani Gallery, SMAC, SMO Contemporary Art, VOICE gallery, WHATIFTHEWORLD.

Of the 43 exhibitors, 11 galleries will be welcomed to the London fair for the first time: ADN Galeria, Art Bärtschi & Cie, Burning in Water, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, Gallery Nosco, HUBERTY & BREYNE GALLERY, James Cohan, Kristin Hjellegjerde, Loft Art Gallery, MOVART Gallery, Retro Africa and Yossi Milo Gallery.

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will be on display at Somerset House until October 7

1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Anton Kannemeyer, In God We Trust, 2018. Courtesy of the artist and Huberty & Breyne Gallery
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Mongezi Ncaphayi, Maiden Voyage, 2017. Courtesy the artist and SMAC
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Lebohang Kganye, Ka 2-phisi yaka e pinky II, 2013. Copyright Lebohang Kganye, Courtesy AFRONOVA GALLERY
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Hicham Benohoud, Sans Titre, Série Landscaping, 2018. Credit Loft Art Gallery Casablanca
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Ephrem Solomon, Silence Series. Courtesy the artist and Kristin Hjellegjerde
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair
Cheikhou Ba, Le Destin Frappe Sans Frapper à la Porte. Courtesy the artist and Kristin Hjellegjerde
Back

Articles you also might like

Belgian photographer Sebastien Van de Walle captured the powerful performance art movement in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo during a 2018 visit. There he met Percy Numbi and Flory Sinanduku who create wildly creative costumes out of the waste and trash that sits in a dried up river bed in a poor neighborhood in the city.

Tracy Lynn Chemaly writes about the animistic and powerful ceramic sculptures of Senyi Awa Camara, whose work has crossed from her rural African village into the white walls of contemporary art galleries and museums in unexpected ways.