ART X Lagos, West Africa’s leading international art fair, returns for its highly anticipated tenth edition — 10X — from 6–9 November 2025 at the Federal Palace, Lagos. Since its debut in 2016, ART X Lagos has become a cornerstone of Africa’s cultural landscape, championing the continent’s creative voices and redefining how African art is experienced globally.

To mark its milestone year, the 2025 edition will expand across four new spaces within the Federal Palace grounds — the Balmoral Marquee, Ballroom Marquee, Federal Palace Lobby, and the Waterfront Garden — offering visitors a dynamic, multi-sensory experience that captures the scale, ambition, and diversity of contemporary African creativity.

Held under the theme “Imagining Otherwise, No Matter The Tide,” this anniversary edition explores how imagination can help shape the future of cities like Lagos and inspire shared possibilities for communities across Africa and the diaspora.

This year’s fair features 15 curated galleries, presenting a diverse range of established and emerging artists. The Main Section welcomes returning exhibitors, including Affinity Art Gallery, Afriart Gallery, Alexis Galleries, Galerie MAM, Gallery 1957, kó, Nike Art Gallery, O’DA Art, SMO Contemporary, Tiwani Contemporary, Wunika Mukan Gallery, and Yenwa. The newly introduced Spotlight Galleries section debuts ADEGBOLA, AMG Projects, and Nomadic Art Gallery, platforming the next generation of African artists through focused solo presentations. Together, these galleries reflect the vibrancy, innovation, and interconnectedness of contemporary African art today.

Among this year’s special projects is the inaugural ART X ICON Exhibition, “An Exacting Eye”, dedicated to legendary photographer J.D. ’Okhai Ojeikere. The exhibition spans six decades of his work, illuminating Nigeria’s evolving aesthetic and social history. Extending his legacy, the ART X Masterclass, led by his son Amaize Ojeikere, will mentor 10 emerging photographers, with selected participants awarded production grants.

Special Projects, curated by Missla Libsekal, include External Realities, Internal Geographies by Nengi Omuku and Where There is Life, There is Hope by Temitayo Ogunbiyi — both transforming material, form, and space to evoke communal reflection. Sculptural installations by Dennis Osadebe and Sokari Douglas Camp CBE further reimagine spiritual and cultural belonging.

The multidisciplinary programme continues with ART X Cinema, curated by Tega Okiti, featuring acclaimed African and diasporic films such as My Father’s Shadow by Akinola Davies and Dahomey by Mati Diop. ART X Live!, curated by Lanre Masha, will be headlined by Nigerian highlife-fusion duo The Cavemen, alongside LLona, Braye, and Ameaya, in a musical celebration of Africa’s evolving sound.

Additional highlights include The Library, a participatory literary and research space; Speakers’ Corner, an interactive storytelling platform; and Art Across Borders, curated by Jumoke Sanwo, showcasing six acclaimed artists exploring belonging, decoloniality, and shared futures.

Now in its tenth year, ART X Lagos reaffirms its position as a transformative cultural force — uniting art, community, and creativity to shape the future of African storytelling. This milestone edition honours a decade of cultural innovation while imagining new possibilities for the years ahead.