This post was originally published on artnews.com
More so than Frieze or any of the other comparable fairs open concurrently in New York, 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair unfolds like a succession of introductions. That makes sense, since this is a regional spotlight, and the region, as well as its diaspora, is often misrepresented as a totality rather than a diverse constellation of people and places.
After a decade of iterations staged in New York, London, and Marrakesh, the fair has successfully dispelled the notion that the African art scene is a monolith. This year, the New York fair moved to Halo, a sunken office complex in Manhattan’s Financial District. Thirty galleries hailing from Paris to the Johannesburg to Tokyo to Lagos are in attendance, and the selection includes a few firsts: TERN Gallery is the first outfit to join 1-54 from the Bahamas (and has brought some eye-catching ceramics), while KUB’ART is the inaugural participant from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There’s a notable and welcome spotlight on Afro-Caribbean art this year. The Special Projects section staged in collaboration with David Krud NYC, is a stellar spread of works on paper from Samuel Fosso, Ibrahim Said, Natia Lemay, and Sanlé Sory, among others. Another exhibitor to catch: Tokyo’s Space Un, which opened in April 2024, and may be the only gallery with a program dedicated to contemporary African art in Japan.
Read on for more highlights from this year’s 1-54 New York.