Founded by Touria El Glaoui in 2013, 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair is distinctive in its ambition to provide an international platform for the showcase of African and African diaspora contemporary art. For four days starting on 6 October, 1:54 will return to Somerset House for its fourth London edition. Since its inauguration in 2013 the fair has grown considerably and, following the great success of its second New York edition earlier this year, the upcoming London edition will extend to include 40 exhibitors and over 130 artists.
With its title referring to the 54 individual countries that constitute the African continent, 1:54 draws together galleries,curators, museums, collectors and artists, and promotes the incredible diversity of African art that for so long was overshadowed by the assumption of a single “African aesthetic”.
El Glaoui explains that her motivation for establishing 1:54 was born from a frustration at the lack of international exposure given to talented African artists on the continent: “When I realised just how underrepresented African and African diaspora artists were in Europe and America, I decided that something had to be done – that the gap had to bridged.”
Each year 1:54 continues to succeed in giving these artists the long-awaited exposure that El Glaoui is so passionate to generate. Alongside the fair itself, 1:54’s carefully curated Forum and its Special Projects – of which there will be 10 this year – have become essential parts of the fair’s success.
Curated by Koyo Kouoh, 1:54 Forum’s artist talks and panel discussions provide a liberating space for conversation, exploration and education. As well as Forum, 1:54’s special projects also generate fruitful discussion, offering a curated section of non-profit collaborative projects, exhibitions and innovative encounters. This October will feature special projects ranging from site-specific installations by artists Zak Ové, Alexandra Karakashian, Ibrahim El-Salahi and Barthélémy Toguo, to radio broadcasting by Worldwide FM, Gilles Peterson’s latest project, and the first major UK show of late Malian photographer Malick Sidibé.
Here is a snippet of some of the new artists to look out for at this year’s 1:54 Art Fair in London.
MICHAEL TSEGAYE • Represented by Addis Fine Art • Born in 1975, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia • Lives and works in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia As a fine art photographer, Michael Tsegaye’s work has an attentive voice in recording and documenting his surroundings. Series such as “Future Memories” and “Chasms of the Soul” display his grasp of change and the shifting typography of the city. Michael Tsegaye, Chasms of the Soul Series I, 2010, Archival digital print, edition of 3 + 1 A. P 120 x 80 cm. Courtesy of Addis Fine Art
MUSTAFA MALUKA • Represented by Galerie Mikael Andersen • Born 1976 in Cape Town, South Africa • Lives and works in Turku, Finland Through selecting and assembling portraits, Mustafa Maluka collects images of faces that have a particular look, that project a particular energy and pride. He liberates the images from their original context and recreates them in a new form on canvas with many layers of paint. Mustafa Maluka, Untitled, 2015, Acrylic, oil and spray paint on canvas, 61 x 46 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Mikael Andersen
MOHAMED EL BAZ • Represented by L’Atelier 21 • Born in 1967 in Ksiba, Morocco • Lives and works in Casablanca, Morocco and Lille, France Since 1993, Mohamed El Baz has carried out a project entitled “Bricoler l ‘incurable” (literally meaning “knocking up the incurable”). It is an unremitting and forceful examination of the trajectories of contemporary social and political issues. Mohamed El Baz, La Reine, 2016, Aluminium, cut wood and beads, 120 x 60 cm. Courtesy of L’atelier 21
YESMINE BEN KHELIL • Represented by Primo Marella Gallery • Born in 1986 in Tunis, Tunisia • Lives and works in Paris, France and Tunis, Tunisia Yesmine Ben Khelil’s work explores a wide range of fictional and real characters from different social and political backgrounds. By creating the sensation of pointed ridicule and challenging their humanness, his works portray a deep sense of irony, confusion, violence and absurdity towards dictatorship. Yesmine Ben Khelil, J’ai tenu parole, ’15, Mixed media, 42 x 29.7 cm. Courtesy of Primo Marella Gallery.
MOUNIR FATMI • Represented by Officine dell’Immagine • Born in 1970 in Tangier, Morocco • Lives and works in Paris, France and Tangier, Morocco Mounir Fatmi constructs visual spaces and linguistic games. His work deals with the desecration of religious objects, deconstruction and the end of dogmas and ideologies. With a particular interest in the idea of death of the subject of consumption, Fatmi’s works bring to light our doubts, fears and desires, addressing directly the current events of our world. Mounir Fatmi, Civilization, 2013-2014, Artist’s shoes and book, edition of 5, 30 x 43 cm. Courtesy of Officine dell’Immagine
JODI BIEBER • Represented by Afronova Gallery • Born in 1966 in Johannesburg, South Africa • Lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa Jodi Bieber’s professional career began covering the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa for The Star Newspaper. When she was selected to participate in the World Press Masterclass held in Holland in 1996, she started travelling the world on assignment for international magazines and NGOs. Meanwhile, she pursued her own projects, and currently produces most of her works in this manner. Jodi Bieber, Maria, 2014, Digital print in pigment inks on cotton rag paper, edition of 8, 84 x 112 cm. Courtesy of Afronova Gallery
SARA OUHADDOU • Represented by VOICE Gallery • Born in 1986 in Draguignan, France • Lives in Paris, France and Morocco Sara Ouhaddou’s work explores design as a tool for economic, social, and cultural development. Ouhaddou makes objects in collaboration with craftsmen and craftswomen selected for their skills but also with consideration to their economic and social situation. Sara Ouhaddou, Igdad (Oiseau), 2016, Zemmour weave, cotton and wool, ceramic, enameled silver 300 x 160 cm. Courtesy of VOICE gallery
DERRICK ADAMS • Represented by Galerie Anne de Villepoix • Born in 1970 in Baltimore, USA • Lives and works in New York, USA Derrick Adams is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice includes conceptual performances, installations, photography, collage, and sculpture. With inf luences derived from Black American culture, hip-hop, and the Black Panthers, Adams invents a rich vocabulary in his representation of the “modular” human body, which he approaches as architecture. Derrick Adams, Fabrication Station No. 2, 2015, Fabric, vinyl, synthetic hair, 180 x 270 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Anne de Villepoix
JAMES BARNOR • Represented by October Gallery • Born in 1929, Accra, Ghana • Lives and works in London, UK James Barnor began by setting up a photography studio that was visited by the general public as well as dignitaries. His portraits depict the self-assurance and individualistic fashion trends that dominated both in London and Accra. James Barnor, “Untitled”, Calendar photo shoot, Accra, Ghana, 1974. Courtesy of the artist and October Gallery
DENIS MURAGURI • Represented by Circle Art Gallery • Born in 1980 in Naivasha, Kenya • Lives and works in Nairobi, Kenya Dennis Muraguri is a multimedia artist working in painting, printmaking installations and sculpturing. Mostly recognised for his body of work inspired by matatu (Kenyan minibuses and vans that serve as public transport), Muraguri explores the culture of contemporary Nairobi. Dennis Muraguri, Matatu dots, 2015, Woodcut print, edition of 2, 84 x 122.5 cm. Courtesy of Circle Art Gallery
From the home of Comrade Abdul Rashid (6)
Bemina
Srinagar
Kashmir
India
October 2014
From the Drowning World Project.
Image provided for 1:54 publicity courtesy of Axis Gallery and the artist.
ZOHRA OPOKU • Represented by Mariane Ibrahim Gallery • Born in 1976 in Altdöbern, Germany • Lives and works in Accra, Ghana Zohra Opoku employs a variety of media such as installation, photography and video to explore the cultural and psychological functions of fashion, and its inf luence on society. Her socially engaged practice takes root in investigating materiality in relation to African histories and identities. Zohra Opoku, Dicksonia Antarctica , 2015, Screen-print on textile, 79 x 105 cm. Courtesy of Mariane Ibrahim Gallery
BEATRICE WANJIKU • Represented by ARTLabAfrica • Born in 1978 in Nairobi, Kenya • Lives and works in Nairobi Beatrice Wanjiku’s distinctive canvases and works on paper probe the human condition, delving into the psyche to question notions of reality and positionality. Taking her own experiences for her investigations into existentialism, Wanjiku’s practice scratches away at the superficial images we project into daily life to reveal spectral figures she believes represent our inner selves. Beatrice Wanjiku, The Quintessence of Loneliness II, 2016, Acrylic and pastel on canvas, 70 x 60 cm. Courtesy of ARTLabAfrica
BORIS NZEBO • Represented by Jack Bell Gallery • Born in 1979 in Port-Gentil, Gabon • Lives and works in Douala, Cameroon Boris Nzebo’s paintings ref lect on the surroundings of his home city of Douala. He uses a strong colour palette, evocative of the murals and graffiti found in the suburbs. Often very elaborate, he combines portraits taken from studies of traditional African hairstyles with informal snapshots of local neighbourhoods, urban architecture and scenes from daily life. Boris Nzebo, Ne Tirez Pas, 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 100 cm. Courtesy of Jack Bell Gallery
BEATRICE WANJIKU • Represented by ARTLabAfrica • Born in 1978 in Nairobi, Kenya • Lives and works in Nairobi Beatrice Wanjiku’s distinctive canvases and works on paper probe the human condition, delving into the psyche to question notions of reality and positionality. Taking her own experiences for her investigations into existentialism, Wanjiku’s practice scratches away at the superficial images we project into daily life to reveal spectral figures she believes represent our inner selves. Beatrice Wanjiku, The Quintessence of Loneliness II, 2016, Acrylic and pastel on canvas, 70 x 60 cm. Courtesy of ARTLabAfrica
Written By
IC Publications
IC Publications is one of the world’s leading publishers focusing exclusively on African affairs.
