ART X Lagos has completed its milestone tenth edition with record attendance, an expanded programme, and a renewed focus on amplifying African creativity. The 2025 fair, titled 10X, took place from 6–9 November at the Federal Palace in Lagos and marked a decade of shaping global conversations around African contemporary art.
Opening Events and High-Level Attendance
The fair opened on Thursday, 6 November, with a dedicated Collectors’ Preview. Guests explored early presentations from this year’s galleries and Special Projects. The following day, the Official Opening Ceremony and celebration at ALARA, curated by Native Sound System, brought together artists, patrons, cultural stakeholders and partners.
The event welcomed several dignitaries, including the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Coordinating Minister for the Economy & Finance Minister, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hon. Hannatu Musa Musawa; and the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Mr. Marc Fonbaustier. Members of the ART X Lagos Advisory Board, led by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, also attended alongside senior executives from Zenith Bank, Afreximbank, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, Chapel Hill Denham and Anap Jets.
Expanded Fairgrounds for the 10th Anniversary
ART X Lagos welcomed its highest number of visitors to date. This year’s fair stretched across four key locations at the Federal Palace: the Balmoral Marquee, the Ballroom Marquee, the Federal Palace Lobby, and the Waterfront Garden. The expanded footprint allowed guests to experience a wider range of exhibitions, installations, and performances.
A special highlight was the installation dedicated to the ART X ICON, J. D. ’Okhai Ojeikere. This presentation will remain accessible to the public until 31 December 2025 to extend the experience beyond the fair.
Theme: Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide
The 2025 edition invited audiences to reflect on imagination, resilience, and shared futures. Over four days, the fair explored how creativity and collective vision can influence cultural and social transformation across Africa.
Founder and Chairman Tokini Peterside-Schwebig shared during the Opening Ceremony:
“At ten, ART X Lagos stands both rooted and reaching. Our growth has been shaped by our communities, our audiences, and the artists who trust us with their visions. The next chapter will be defined by bold investment in artists, curators, and cultural thinkers across Africa. The past decade shows what can happen when creativity meets commitment. We’re ready for the future.”
Galleries and Artistic Programming
15 Curated Galleries and a New Spotlight Section
ART X Lagos 2025 hosted 15 galleries representing emerging and established artists from across Africa and the diaspora. Exhibitors included Affinity Art Gallery (Nigeria), Afriart Gallery (Uganda), Galerie MAM (Cameroon), Gallery 1957 (Ghana), kó (Nigeria), SMO Contemporary (Nigeria), Tiwani Contemporary (UK), and others.
A new addition this year, the Spotlight Galleries section, showcased ADEGBOLA, AMG Projects, and Nomadic Art Gallery. Each gallery presented focused solo exhibitions by emerging artists, offering a fresh look at rising talent on the continent.
Special Projects Curated by Missla Libsekal
This year’s Special Projects brought some of the fair’s most memorable moments. Key highlights included:
Nengi Omuku – External Realities, Internal Geographies
Sponsored by Chapel Hill Denham
Omuku transformed traditional sanyan fabric into rich landscapes exploring healing and memory. The artist also hosted a workshop through her foundation, TAOH Africa, connecting participants through creative practice.
Temitayo Ogunbiyi – WHERE THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HOPE
Sponsored by emPLE
Ogunbiyi invited visitors to engage with interactive elements that reimagined the possibilities of public space and the urban environment.
ART X ICON: Honouring J. D. ’Okhai Ojeikere
A Homecoming for a Nigerian Master
The inaugural ART X ICON exhibition, An Exacting Eye, celebrated six decades of work by J. D. ’Okhai Ojeikere. The show, sponsored by Zenith Bank, was presented across three locations at the fair and marked a significant homecoming for the photographer’s archive.
Masterclass for Emerging Photographers
Ojeikere’s son, Amaize Ojeikere, led a dedicated Masterclass supported by Zenith Bank. Ten emerging photographers participated in the workshop, which focused on visual storytelling, memory and typology. Three participants will receive grants and showcase their work publicly in the coming months.
Portraits of Modernity Studio
Curated by Fikayo Adebajo, this live photography studio invited visitors to create contemporary portraits inspired by Ojeikere’s legacy. Photographs were captured by Peter John Chukwu, and the Patewo chair designed by Saliu Iwadi Studios served as the central seat. Ojeikere’s granddaughter, Efe Ojeikere, also participated.
Installations and Immersive Spaces
Large-Scale Sculptures
Several installations offered new spatial encounters:
• MASS (Devotion) by Dennis Osadebe explored collective spirituality and community.
• Asoebi by Sokari Douglas Camp CBE reimagined ceremonial “family cloth” through steel sculpture.
The Library
Sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Pensions and curated by Missla Libsekal, The Library featured works by Bruce Onobrakpeya, publications from the G.A.S. Foundation Art Library, and selected films from ART X Cinema. A special highlight, Tales by Moonlight, brought children and elders together for storytelling led by Oluwalanu Agusto and Onobrakpeya.
Speakers’ Corner
A mangrove installation created by Mitimeth served as the center of this reflective space. Curated by Fikayo Adebajo and activated by A Third Space, Speakers’ Corner hosted writers, artists and thinkers including Fiyin Koko, Molara Wood, Innocent Chizaram, Fuad Lawal, Dipo Faloyin and Bubu Ogisi.
The mangrove tree will be permanently housed at the John Randle Centre for Yoruba Culture and History.
Film, Music, and Critical Conversations
ART X Cinema
Curated by Tega Okiti, ART X Cinema screened films exploring African and diasporic stories. Highlights included My Father’s Shadow (2025) by Akinola Davies and Mati Diop’s award-winning Dahomey (2024).
ART X Live!
Sponsored by EnjoyCorp and adidas, ART X Live! returned with the theme From the Roots. The Cavemen headlined the show, joined by LLona, Braye, and Ameaya. The performance honoured interconnection and cultural resilience.
ART X Talks
This year’s talks featured artists and cultural leaders, including Akinbode Akinbiyi, Amaize Ojeikere, Mati Diop, and the Art Across Borders artists. A special session revisited Nigeria’s art history through the Zaria Art Society and the Osogbo School with Bruce Onobrakpeya, Jimoh Buraimoh, and Nike Davies-Okundaye.
Art Across Borders and Talent Development
Cross-Continental Artistic Dialogue
Sponsored by Afreximbank and curated by Jumoke Sanwo, Art Across Borders featured works by six mid-career artists: Edson Chagas, Mário Macilau, Nicène Kossentini, Fatoumata Diabaté, Kudzanai Chiurai, and Camille Chedda. Their projects explored belonging, decoloniality, and shared futures.
Resonance Residency
As part of its tenth anniversary, ART X Lagos reaffirmed its commitment to supporting young artists through Resonance, its residency in Paris. The inaugural fellows—Mobolaji Ogunrosoye, Olorunfemi Adewuyi, and Tony Agbapuonwu—were presented during the fair.
Education, Community and Youth Engagement
Schools’ Programme
This year, the Schools’ Programme, sponsored by ZTL Liquids Transfer and run in partnership with Teach for Nigeria, welcomed more than 750 children. Students engaged with artworks through guided tours and hands-on sessions.
Youth Exhibitions and Activities
The “Imagining Otherwise” exhibition displayed winning works by students from Yaba, Onitolo, and Jibowu. The Tide Wall invited children to create prints inspired by Lagos, forming a collaborative mural.
Sponsors
ART X Lagos 2025 was proudly supported by Zenith Bank, Afreximbank, Chapel Hill Denham, Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers, emPLE, AnapJets, EnjoyCorp, adidas, ZTL Liquids Transfer, Air France, and Patrón.
About ART X Lagos
Founded in 2016 by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, ART X Lagos is West Africa’s leading international art fair. It celebrates contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora and has welcomed artists and galleries from more than 70 countries. Through platforms such as ART X Live!, ART X Cinema, ART X Talks, Resonance, and the ART X Prize, the fair continues to support emerging talent and expand global engagement with African art.
