Sanwo-Olu, Musawa, Jim Ovia, others present as ART X Lagos lights up Lagos
As part of activities marking its 10th anniversary, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa headlined the ART X Lagos fair, as founder Tokini Peterside-Schwebig identified the exhibition as exploring resilience, hope, and creative possibility in contemporary African art.
The 4-day celebration of Africa’s creativity and ingenuity through art and design, the ART X Lagos 10th edition, wrapped up on Sunday, in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The milestone fair drew artists, collectors, cultural enthusiasts, and dignitaries who hailed the vision and tenacity of its founder, Ms Peterside-Schwebig, in building one of Africa’s most transformative cultural platforms.
ART X Lagos
Founded in 2016, ART X Lagos has become a global stage for African art, attracting over 700,000 visitors from 170 countries and showcasing more than 500 artists in the past decade.
This year’s edition, “Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide,” explored resilience, hope, and creative possibility in contemporary African art.
Fair highlights
The fair opened with a star-studded preview on Friday, attended by dignitaries including Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Finance Minister Wale Edun, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musa Musawa, Zenith Bank Founder Jim Ovia, Atedo Peterside, Marc Fonbaustier, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, and Stephen Kauma, Director at Afreximbank, among others.
The 2025 edition showcased a rich blend of art, performance, film, and design across multiple venues at Federal Palace Hotel, including ART X Live!, ART X Cinema, and the Waterfront Garden.
Curators such as Missla Libsekal, Jumoke Sanwo, Teju Okiti, Fikayo Adebanjo, and Lanre Masha guided the programming, which merged artistic innovation with cultural dialogue.
ARTX growth
At the event, Ms Peterside-Schwebig described the milestone as emotional and symbolic. “This is my 10th time standing in front of an audience to introduce ART X Lagos, and it fills me with pride and gratitude. When I conceived ART X Lagos in 2016, I was imagining otherwise.
“I saw Lagos as one of the most powerful cities in the world and wanted it to take its rightful place as a convener for the African continent. The world has seen major art fairs in London, Miami, Paris, and Hong Kong, but never has one done it the way Lagos would.
“Then we set out to galvanise the rest of the art sector, creating a satellite programme of events through which we could connect our international visitors as they came from all over the world, and thus spawn the birth of Art Week,” Ms Peterside-Schwebig stated.
As part of the fair’s highlight, the founder announced a special exhibition honouring late photography icon J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, featuring over 200 works drawn from 6,000 physical negatives.
“Celebrating J.D. Okhai Ojeikere meant digging deep into the past to capture elements of nationhood, not just for nostalgia but to inspire the next generation.
“The world has seen his hairstyle series, but these unseen images reveal the depth of his vision and his love for Nigeria,” she added.
Creative Economy
Ms Peterside-Schwebig also acknowledged ART X Lagos’ broader influence on the city’s creative economy, saying it creates different tourism experiences, especially for foreign attendees at the event.
“Today, there are dozens of exhibitions, openings, and festivals across Lagos revolving around ART X Lagos. What we are doing is creating a different kind of tourism experience, one that is centred on cultural ideas, pride, heritage, and power,” she noted.
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As the 10th edition concluded, Ms Peterside-Schwebig expressed gratitude for the decade-long journey, crediting the artists, curators, sponsors, and audiences who helped transform a bold idea into a continental phenomenon.
“ART X Lagos began as a dream, but today, it is a movement that continues to showcase Africa’s creative brilliance to the world,” she said.