ART X Lagos unveils theme, lineup for 10th anniversary edition

As ART X Lagos marks its 10th anniversary, organisers say this year’s edition will celebrate a decade of shaping Africa’s creative landscape and deepening global appreciation for African art. The 2025 edition of the fair, themed “Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide,” is set to bring together artists, curators, and audiences from across Africa and […]

As ART X Lagos marks its 10th anniversary, organisers say this year’s edition will celebrate a decade of shaping Africa’s creative landscape and deepening global appreciation for African art.

The 2025 edition of the fair, themed “Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide,” is set to bring together artists, curators, and audiences from across Africa and the diaspora to reflect on how imagination can shape the continent’s future.

Speaking during the official launch of the fair in Lagos, the Founder of ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, described the upcoming edition as a significant milestone in the evolution of African art.

“When we began in 2016, the dream was simple, to champion how African creativity is seen, celebrated, and valued,” she said. “Ten years later, that dream has grown into a movement that connects artists, communities, and audiences across borders.”

Since its debut, ART X Lagos has evolved into a major cultural event on the continent’s calendar, hosting over 700,000 visitors from more than 170 countries. The fair has served as a platform for emerging and established artists to showcase their work while placing Lagos firmly on the global art map.

Peterside-Schwebig said the 10th edition would build on that legacy, expanding its reach and impact. “From the very beginning, ART X Lagos set out to be more than an art fair,” she said. “It was designed to be a catalyst for cultural exchange, to reimagine how Africa tells its story to the world.”

This year’s fair will feature 15 curated galleries showcasing a diverse range of contemporary works from Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and the wider diaspora. For the first time, a Spotlight Section will focus on emerging galleries presenting solo exhibitions by some of the continent’s new voices.

A major highlight of the 2025 edition will be the debut of ART X ICON, a new exhibition platform honouring pioneering African artists. Its first showcase, titled “An Exacting Eye,” will celebrate the late Nigerian photographer J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere, whose work documented the evolution of Nigeria’s cultural and social identity through striking black-and-white portraits.