The seventh edition of the ART X Lagos, an art and cultural event founded by Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, which held recently in Lagos at the Balmoral Convention Centre of the Federal Palace Hotel, came to an end after its 3-day sojourn from November 4 through November 6, 2022.
With Access Corporation as a major sponsor, the Art X Lagos connects art collectors, artists and enthusiasts from Africa and the world, delivering amazing experiences for the various stakeholders. This year’s edition provided a convergence of over 120 artists from 40 countries around the world.
The ART X Lagos 2022 was a veritable ground for more than 5,000 art enthusiasts, curators, collectors and culture influencers across the world to showcase various art forms presented by 31 leading international galleries. It is obviously the biggest international art event in West Africa.
This year’s edition upped the ante with new experiences including live exhibitions, talks and performances and a virtual fair on ARTSY which will still be available for the global audiences on artsy.com and artxlagos.com till November 21, 2022.
Commenting on the ART X Lagos 2022 fair, the Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwolu said the event has put Lagos on the global map, especially in the culture and tourism scene.
The governor who disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, said Art X Lagos aligns with the culture and tourism initiatives of the state government and has become part of the state’s cultural calendar.
He commended the Founder of the ART X Lagos, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig for her tenacity and commitment to providing the enabling platform for artists and other stakeholders to engage and develop the sector in Nigeria and Africa.
In her speech at the event, Tokini Peterside-Schwebig, Founder, ART X Lagos said, “This year, we have been ambitious to show the unique ability of arts to uplift, inspire and empower society. We have delivered unique perspectives to contemporary African art and created opportunity for art stakeholders to explore new ideas and elevate the conversations about Africa as a melting point of culture.”
The Group Managing Director, (GMD) Access Corporation, Herbert Wigwe in his comment stated that the corporation aligns with platforms that seek to elevate conversations about Africa and create new opportunities for people in the continent. He said this has seen Access Corporation partner with ART X Lagos for the past seven years, creating beautiful experiences for art lovers in Africa and the diaspora.
“As part of our efforts to promote culture as new revenue streams for Africans, we initiated the ART X Prize with a $10,000 reward for Nigerian based artists. This year we have stepped up the prize to include an additional award for emerging artists from all of Africa and it’s Diaspora, who will also get $10,000 and residency at GAS Foundation Nigeria.”
The Group Head, Communications and External Affairs, Amaechi Okobi in his comment stated that “the ART X Prize 2022 will promote cultural exchange, putting African arts and cultural sector on the global map in line with the Corporation’s efforts at driving the narrative about Africa.”
The event also featured ART X Talks; a lively panel discussion series; themed “Who Will Gather Under the Baobab Tree” with leading contemporaries in conversation with Victor Ehikhamenor. Also, the ART X Live, a one-of-a-kind showcased collaborations between some of the fastest-rising artists and musicians on the African continent; as well as specially curated presentations and interactive projects.
The ART X Live themed ‘US’, featured genre-defying Nigerian-born, London based, Obongjayar; South African DJ and Amapiano music producer DBN GOGO; rising Afrobeats star YKB, and Afro-reggae singer Winny; with video artist Daberechi, and Fahd Bello who presented surreal 2D animations, creating immersive experiences for the audience.
There was also a children’s art competition, the Access Early Savers Art Competition, where the top three finalists went home with various prizes with the first place winner getting N250,000.
However, the top 10 finalists for the ART X Prize sponsored by Access Corporation will be announced on November 16 while finalists will be presented to the Jury on November 24, 2022.
For the ART X Prize 2022, one artist will be selected from Nigeria, to undergo a residency at Gasworks London, United Kingdom, while another from Africa and the diaspora will be selected for a residency at Yinka Shonibare’s G.A.S Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria. They will be supported with grants of $10,000 for their exhibitions.
The Access ART X Prize is an initiative of Access Corporation, the parent company of one of Africa’s financial services giants, Access Bank. The organisation, whose 20-year journey is transforming the African financial services sector, aims to connect the world meaningfully through art. This the institution has done since the inception of the Access ART X Prize in 2016.