When the flagship version of 1-54 Up to date African Artwork Truthful opens in London in October, it can function a majority of recent gallery contributors from the worldwide south, lots of whom are primarily based in Africa.
Established over a decade in the past, the truthful has grown to change into the premier platform for showcasing work by artists from Africa and its diaspora, with iterations in New York and Marrakech every year, in addition to pop-up exhibitions in cities reminiscent of Paris and Hong Kong.
‘It turns into more and more essential,’ the founding director of 1-54, Touria El Glaoui, tells Wallpaper*, including that the truthful’s skill to draw new galleries is a results of its repute, constructed over the previous 13 years, and engagement with galleries.
The thirteenth consecutive version of 1-54 London will likely be held at Somerset Home, that includes about 100 established, rising and rising artists, together with Hassan Hajjaj, Seydou Keita, Arthur Timothy, Amina Agueznay, Roisin Jones, Vanessa Endeley, Ugonna Hosten, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Joël Bigaignon and Malick Sidibe.
Larissa de Souza, Primeiras Palavras, 2024
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of the Artist and albertz benda.)
On show will likely be work throughout a variety of media, reminiscent of portray, pictures, sculpture, textiles and ceramics, by over 50 new and returning galleries, amongst them: Kub’aty Gallery (Kinshasa, DRC + Montreal, Canada), Larkin Durey (London, UK), Affinity Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria), OH Gallery (Dakar, Senegal), Rele Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria / London, UK / Los Angeles, USA), The 1897 Gallery (Lagos, Nigeria), TERN Gallery (Nassau, Bahamas), Gallery Brulhart (Geneva, Switzerland), First Ground Gallery Harare (Harare, Zimbabwe), Loft Artwork Gallery (Casablanca, Marrakesh, Morocco), and Gallery 1957 (Accra, Ghana: London, UK.)
Programming for the upcoming occasion will embody particular initiatives, reminiscent of an exploration of African craftsmanship and British tailoring by way of the Artwork Comes First initiative; a reimagining of Zambian photographic heritage by On a regular basis Lusaka Gallery, primarily based within the Zambian capital; a curated Caribbean Highlight part; and a courtyard fee at Somerset Home’s Edmond J Safra Fountain courtroom.
Along with its partnership with public sale home Christie’s and perfume assortment Infiniment Coty Paris, 1-54 has additionally inked a brand new partnership with Afreximbank, the pan-African multilateral monetary establishment. By means of its Afreximbank Artwork Programme, the establishment will current an exhibition highlighting rising artists from throughout Africa, in addition to the launch of the Afreximbank Artwork Prize. The primary version will likely be held at 1-54 Marrakech in February 2026.
‘I believe it actually reveals the significance that [such partners are] seeing within the inventive business and being a part of this second within the growth of latest artwork on the continent,’ says El Glaoui, including, ‘We’re very proud to have them on board.’
Learn on for Wallpaper’s dialog with Touria El Glaoui, the founding director of 1-54 Up to date Africa Artwork Truthful.
Touria El Glaoui, founding director of 1-54 Up to date Africa Artwork Truthful
(Picture credit score: Jim Winslet)
What to look ahead to at 1-54 Up to date African Artwork Truthful
Wallpaper*: This yr’s 1-54 London options a number of new galleries, primarily from the worldwide south. How significant is it to you to supply a platform for these galleries to showcase work to a worldwide viewers?
Touria El Glaoui: It turns into more and more essential. We’re positively in a time when, with 1-54 celebrating its thirteenth version, now we have had the chance to determine a repute as a global platform that showcases up to date artwork from the African diaspora and the African continent to the world.
The concept we will entice galleries that present at 1-54 for the primary time is clearly a praise to the work now we have developed over 13 years. Nonetheless, I additionally suppose there’s a want for a lot of of those galleries to be on a specialised platform that’s extra centered. After which a specific amount of engagement with the galleries over the yr that you just won’t have seen – us visiting the galleries, assembly gallerists in particular person on the gallery places or seeing them at completely different occasions. That makes them additionally extra more likely to be a part of 1-54.
For example, The 1897 gallery from Lagos was current bodily at 1-54 in London final yr [but was not an exhibitor]. And after speaking to different galleries from Nigeria [and] seeing that it’s the proper match for them, they determined to current a programme for the truthful in London that was of curiosity to us. So, I believe the convincing is a mix of our repute and likewise engagement with the galleries over the few months that now we have between the festivals, them both being a part of considered one of our different festivals or simply being guests, and considering that that is the precise match to indicate artists in London.
Vanessa Endeley, Don’t You Need To Dwell Earlier than You Die V, 2024
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of Affinity Gallery.)
W*: One of many issues that 1-54 has finished is present visibility for artwork and artists from Africa. Are there less-documented facets you’re additionally happy with because the founding father of the truthful?
TEG: I believe the half that we’re most happy with is de facto the connection that we’re capable of construct between the galleries and the establishments on the continent and outdoors, and likewise seeing how these artists evolve over time on the worldwide market. The concept [the artists] are a part of the dialogue, a part of the narrative, that they’re included in some exhibitions, that we see their worth appreciated over time – I believe these are components that 1-54 has positively taken an enormous accountability for.
Internet hosting three festivals a yr on three completely different continents, with the ability to highlight these artists at three distinct moments all year long makes certain that they’re on the map. [We see] the evolution of those artists [being] a part of discussions when an establishment is making an attempt to do a present that isn’t African-focused. Now they’ve names of 20 or 30 artists from the continent that they did not learn about earlier than to select from. That is extraordinarily essential as a result of it’s what is going to make these artists much more beneficial, appreciated and visual.
I’ve listened to curators over time from establishments in Africa and overseas mentioning that it’s fairly essential and instrumental for them to have the ability to go to 1-54, and to have the ability to uncover below the identical roof 100 or 200 artists at a time that they’d not essentially have the ability to discover in the event that they needed to go to each nation on the continent. They typically do not have the price range or perhaps the intention to go to Africa to see these artists. I believe a part of it’s guaranteeing that Africa is now not on the periphery. It’s a part of the discussions; it is included in any up to date artwork historical past narrative that we’re speaking about. I imagine that 1-54 has made a major contribution to this occurring.
Ofunne Azinge Ijeoma, 2022
(Picture credit score: Courtesy of the artist)
W*: What has been most stunning to you within the 13 years you may have been organising 1-54?
TEG: As a lot as I really feel we’re extraordinarily seen as we speak, some American collectors who got here to 1-54 London final yr didn’t know that now we have an version in america. Meaning extra work must be finished to create consciousness. It’s stunning at instances that as a lot as we’re marking main milestones, there’s additionally a lot to do.
On the similar time, I believe what’s optimistic for us is seeing all these new museums opening up in Africa. A museum like Zeitz Museum of Up to date Artwork Africa in South Africa is collaborating with museums in america and Europe on their exhibitions now, in order that reveals the training stage that we’re attending to, the place you may have a European or American viewers actually feeling that they’re studying from the African continent as we speak. [It shows artists] that they will make it in Africa and be recognized world wide, in comparison with the earlier trajectory the place an artist needed to stay, work and present within the West first earlier than it might be mentioned that they’ve made it.
I do know we’re right here to speak in regards to the London version, however with 1-54 Marrakech, we now have American establishments, European establishments which can be extraordinarily keen to find artwork in Africa. I believe it is essential as a result of they recognise that they’ve loads to be taught from the continent. And I believe the stunning impact is we’re seeing this motion that began in London and [then expanded to] New York, however [became] extra, I wish to say appreciated [in Africa], so persons are actually taking note of us on the continent.
1-54 London 2025 will happen at Somerset Home from 16 to 19 October 2025, 1-54.com/london
Supply: Wallpaper
