Art X Lagos 2025: A Decade of Redefining African Creativity on the Global Stage

From November 6–9, 2025, Lagos will host the landmark 10th edition of Art X Lagos, West Africa’s premier international art fair. This celebratory event—a decade in the making—promises to spotlight African creativity through visual art, music, film, design, literature, and bold cultural programming. Now established as a global cultural catalyst, Art X Lagos continues to affirm its vision: amplifying African narratives and forging vibrant creative futures.

🗓️ Key Details

🎉 A Celebratory Milestone: What Makes the 10th Edition Special

Marking a decade since its founding in 2016, Art X Lagos has evolved from a modest Nigerian art fair into a global phenomenon—attracting over 700,000 visitors from 170 nations across nine editions artxlagos.com+8artxlagos.com+8ArtDependence+8. This milestone is more than a party—it’s a declaration. “Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide” becomes a call to reshaping urban, cultural, and global futures through collective creativity.

Highlights and key features of this special edition include:

  • Commissioned curiosity: Exhibitions featuring artists like J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere, Nengi Omuku, and Temitayo Ogunbiyi—each exploring identity, memory, and spatial imagination ArtDependence+1artxlagos.com+1.

  • Expanded platforms: Including ART X Cinema, ART X Live!, ART X Talks, and the ART X Prize—all crossing boundaries between art, film, literature, and music artxlagos.com+3ArtDependence+3artxlagos.com+3.

  • Residency launch: The inaugural Resonance programme, in partnership with the Cité internationale des arts in Paris and the Embassy of France—supporting Nigerian curators, designers, and artists with a three-month residency abroad artxlagos.com+1ArtDependence+1.

🖼️ Core Programming & Thematic Focus

1. Main Exhibition & Artworks

The central fair exhibition gathers leading galleries from Africa and the diaspora, displaying works across mediums—painting, sculpture, photography, new media, and performance art. The breadth of creativity spans:

  • Established voices such as J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere (hairstyle-photography pioneer)** alongside

  • Emerging talents like Nengi Omuku (immersive textural painting) and Temitayo Ogunbiyi (site-responsive installation)—exemplifying the fair’s thematic interrogations of identity and space ArtDependence.

2. ART X Talks & Development Forum

Hosted in discussion spaces throughout the fair, ART X Talks brings together luminaries like El Anatsui, Yinka Shonibare, and Bruce Onobrakpeya. Panels address urgent topics including:

  • Afropolitan cultural identity

  • The future of African creative industries

  • Digital transformation and sustainability in art Wikipedia+1ArtDependence+1.

3. ART X Cinema & ART X Live!

  • Cinema: Offers a curated showcase of independent African and diaspora films—ranging from experimental shorts to documentary and narrative works .

  • Live!: A performance platform uniting visual art with soundscapes—including live musical acts, spoken word, and performative installations, threading together auditory and visual experience.

4. ART X Prize & Schools’ Programme

  • ART X Prize spotlights emerging artists under 40, offering institutional exhibitions and mentorship

  • The Schools’ Programme cultivates next-gen creativity, engaging youth with workshops, artist-led activities, and gallery visits Wikipedia.

5. Resonance Residency

A bold first: the Resonance Residency Program offers three Nigerian creative practitioners (artists, designers, or curators) a chance to spend three months in Paris—networking, researching, and growing their practices, fully supported by Art X Lagos and international partners artxlagos.com+1ArtDependence+1.

🎯 Cultural & Economic Impact

A Pan-African Nexus

With participants from over 70 countries and a massive in-fair audience, including international collectors, curators, critics, and publishers, Art X Lagos stands as a diplomatic and cultural bridge—elevating Lagos as an art world capital ArtDependence+2artxlagos.com+2Wikipedia+2.

Stimulating Local Ecosystems

The fair bolsters Nigeria’s creative economy:

  • By driving art sales and gallery commissions

  • Supporting hospitality, transport, production, marketing, and tourism

  • Showcasing Lagos as a global creative hub in international media narratives

Shaping Cultural Infrastructure

Programs like Schools’ Programme and ART X Prize are instrumental in developing homegrown artistic talent and long-term institutional knowledge.

The new Resonance Residency ties Lagos to Paris—signifying growing global artistic partnerships and mobility.

🎤 Voices from the Community

Tokini Peterside‑Schwebig, Founder & Director of Art X Lagos, reflects on the vision:

“Our tenth edition marks an important landmark for Art X Lagos… a movement… connecting hundreds of artists from over 70 countries… reimagined what it means to advocate for the African narrative on the global stage.” ArtDependence+1artxlagos.com+1Wikipedia

That statement captures the ambition shaping Art X’s evolution—from a fair to a movement.

🗺️ Visiting the Fair: Planning & Tips

Dates & Venue

How to Attend

  • Tickets: Range from day passes to full-fair VIP packages; early booking advised due to international demand.

  • Travel: Victoria Island is easily accessible from Lagos International Airport and city central by road or water taxi.

  • Accommodation: Onsite rooms typically book out fast—pair your visit with a stay at one of Lagos’s luxe hotels.

Maximize Your Experience

  1. Do your research—Review exhibitor list and artist highlights before arrival.

  2. Use fair programming—Prioritize Talks, Cinema screenings, and Live performances early on.

  3. Engage personally—Connect directly with artists and curators to learn about stories behind works.

  4. Jot notes & buys—Bring a notebook; be ready with contact info for galleries or shipping inquiries.

  5. Explore Lagos—Beyond the fair, discover the city’s galleries, creative districts, culinary scene, and cultural landmarks.

🌍 Beyond the Fair: Lagos Art Week & Long-Term Legacy

Art X Lagos extends beyond its main event:

  • Gathers off-venue programming, including satellite exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and pop-ups during Lagos Art Week

  • Energizes Lagos’s creative ecosystem year-round—fueling a growing arts calendar, infrastructure, and audience base.

Having reshaped the city’s cultural skyline in ten years, Art X Lagos is transforming Lagos into a permanent, purposeful global art hub.

🔮 Looking Ahead: The Next Decade

Art X Lagos is not resting on its laurels. As we look beyond 2025, expect:

  • Expanded international residencies and exchange programs

  • Deeper investment in emerging artists—especially across Africa

  • Strengthened digital engagement—online sales, virtual fairs, global streaming

  • Ongoing cultural research, legacy-building, and community-driven archival projects

The resonance of this celebratory edition will ripple outward, shaping art, culture, and identity well into the future.

✨ In Summary

  • What: 10th-anniversary edition of West Africa’s leading art fair—Art X Lagos

  • When: November 6–9, 2025

  • Where: Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos

  • Why attend: Experience a global mix of established and emerging African art, dynamic talks, film showings, live performances, and a groundbreaking international residency — all celebrating 10 years of redefining African cultural narratives.

Tags

Event Date
Location

Lagos, Nigeria.

Art

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