Nigerian artist and curator, Folakunle Oshun, has said the Lagos Biennial is an important platform for contemporary artistic expression and international cultural exchange.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Oshun, Founder and Artistic Director of the Lagos Biennial, stated: “Bringing this exhibition to Eko Atlantic City allows us to reflect on the relationship between Lagos rapidly changing urban landscape and its cultural memory.”

The biennial returns for its fifth edition from November 14 to December 6, 2026 at Eko Atlantic City, Lagos. Themed The Museum of Things Unseen, the international contemporary art exhibition will feature over 70 artists from Nigeria and across the world, alongside special pavilions presented by the European Union, Floating Museum Chicago, and other international cultural organisations.

He said, “The Museum of Things Unseen invites us to reconsider what museums preserve, what they leave out, and how we might imagine new institutions that respond to our own histories.”

Founded in 2017 by Oshun, previous editions have been staged at the Nigerian Railway Corporation compound in Yaba (2017), Independence House (2019), and Tafawa Balewa Square (2024), transforming historically significant locations into spaces for contemporary art.

This edition, curated by Furen Dai, Chinyere Obieze and Sam Hopkins, under the artistic direction of Oshun, The Museum of Things Unseen challenges conventional ideas of what a museum should be and whose histories it represents. The exhibition asks: “What lies hidden in the shadows of our museum spaces? Whose stories are silenced, and whose voices are amplified? If we were to build a museum from scratch, unbounded by structural inequities, what form would it take? Through installations, sculpture, photography, film and performances, participating artists explore the politics of visibility, cultural memory and the possibilities of imagining new museum institutions.”

This year’s edition moves to Eko Atlantic City, one of Africa’s most ambitious urban developments. The exhibition explores the histories, objects and narratives often overlooked or excluded from conventional museums, while examining the relationship between cultural heritage, collective memory and the transformation of African cities.

A major highlight of the exhibition will be the presentation of the Akete Collection, an initiative of the Lagos Biennial aimed at establishing a permanent contemporary art museum in Lagos. The programme will also feature installations, performances, public conversations and the Curatorial Lab Lagos, an international professional development initiative for emerging curators.

The fifth edition reinforces Lagos growing position as an international cultural destination, bringing together artists, curators, collectors and visitors while contributing to Nigeria’s expanding creative economy.

The Biennial opens with a special preview on November 13, followed by its public opening on November 14 ,2026. The exhibition will run on selected dates until December 6, 2026 at Eko Atlantic City, Victoria Island, Lagos.