After its postponement of the Marrakech edition, the leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary African art and the African diaspora, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, will bring art back to the heart of the Parisian city from April 7 to 10, 2022 in the premises of Christie’s on Avenue Matignon
This significant European event, dedicated to contemporary African art created in London in 2013, has been held since 2015 in New York, from 2018 in Marrakech and shows in Paris, with a physical and virtual opportunity of 3 days in 2021. Its fundamental objective is to advance rich and dynamic contemporary art from a coherent African perspective and to bring it to new audiences.
For this year, the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will host 22 exhibitors at Christie’s and will be open to the public, a move that heralds its tenth edition in London this year.
Bringing contemporary art to the world
Given the limitations and current vulnerability of COVID-19, the leading international art fair dedicated to contemporary African art and the African diaspora, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair has chosen to postpone its Marrakech edition to 2023 and to continue its collaboration with Christie’s auction house to hold its fair in Paris for the second consecutive year.
The arrival in Paris of the fair whose name reflects the 54 states of the African continent is key to the series of events intended to be a bigger edition than last year’s, with VIP and public days to attract a new and existing crowd in search of art.
This year’s fair will also be joined by 1-54 Forum, the multidisciplinary program that includes lectures, screenings, exhibitions, workshops and readings, the intricacies of which will be added later.
For the third consecutive year, the collaboration between 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair and Christie’s is a testament to the strong and dynamic relationship between the fair and the international auction house. But also, Christie’s commitment to present contemporary African art.
Meanwhile, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair‘s long-standing collaboration with Artsy will allow visitors to search, interact and collect works from all exhibitors and artists online from April 7-14 at artsy.net/1-54.
Touria El Glaoui, founding director of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, said it is with deep sadness that she and her group have tragically decided to postpone the highly anticipated Marrakech event until 2023, due to ongoing travel limitations caused by the pandemic. She would also like to thank the galleries who all agreed to participate in the second fair at Christie’s in Paris, and plans to congratulate the fantastic artists.
Julien Pradels, Managing Director of Christie’s France said that instead of the famous Marrakech edition, Christie’s Paris is honored to have the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair back in its walls on Avenue Matignon. He emphasizes that in January 2021, it was a real success and an opportunity for his auction house to offer its collectors contemporary African art. This second edition of 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in Paris will reinforce its support for participating galleries and the artists they serve and he and his team are delighted that this partnership will continue in 2022, starting in Paris and continuing in London.
The participating galleries for this year’s edition are : AFIKARIS, African Arty, DADA Gallery, Everard Read, Didier CLAES, Françoise Livinec, Galerie Carole Kvasnevski, Galerie Cécile Fakhoury, Galerie Nathalie Obadia, HOA Galeria, Jack Bell Gallery, Kó Art Space, Katharina Maria Raab, La Galerie 38, Loft Art Gallery, LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery, MAGNIN-A, Nil Gallery, Primo Marella Gallery, Sabrina Amrani, The Breeder et The Third Line.