At this year’s 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair happening this week, To.org, an organization that uses art to help refugee communities pursue their dreams, will be showcasing how artists of African descent explore the complex themes of cultural identity, heritage, and memory.
“Art can change narratives and give people the opportunity to pursue their dreams,” To.org’s artistic director Mehdi Dakhli says. “Especially those in crisis. And I think anyone should have that and anyone deserves that.” This is what inspires To.org’s mission to set up creative centers in displaced communities. And it’s what the funds generated from their exhibition at 1-54 will be used for.
The organization is hoping to build something similar to their Bidi Bidi project in Uganda, in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. For the Bidi Bidi project, To.org built a performing arts center, which includes a recording studio, an amphitheater, and a classroom where children learn how to play music. The proposed building in Kenya, designed by South African architect Sumayya Vally, will also include a mental and physical health center, says Dakhli.
According to Dakhli, the approach to curation at 1-54 reflects the organization’s desire to shift away from what he says has become the norm when it comes to African art. “Our point of view was to show a different face of African art — more conceptual and abstract works,” Dakhli explains. “I think a lot of galleries in the last few years have shown a lot of figurative art from the African continent and its diaspora. The goal [for this exhibition] is to show a booth that’s focused on abstraction and conceptual art,” he adds.
Photo courtesy of 1-54 London.
The ‘la réserve’ piece by artist Fayçal Baghriche will showcase at To.org’s booth at 1-54 London this year.
To.org’s exhibition boasts an impressive lineup of artists of African descent. “We’re showing the works of Esther Mahlangu from South Africa. We’re excited about her murals. We have Joel Andrianomearizoa from Madagascar, Ghada Amer, Cecile Abish, Remy Jungerman. There’s also Atta Kwami, a very nice painter from Ghana,” Dakhli adds.
The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair will be held from October 10 through 13, at Somerset House in London — presenting an exciting lineup of projects from across Africa and its diaspora. This year, London-based Nigerian multidisciplinary artist Slawn’sTransition project will transform two London double-decker buses into canvases that explore accessibility and cultural symbols in the city. French Moroccan artist Sophia Kacimi’s interactive installation Zoubida invites visitors into a world where craftsmanship, fashion and interior design merge in the form of a giant chess board crafted in collaboration with Moroccan artisans.
Photo by Osama Ahdi.
SophiaKacimi’s installation at 1-54 London will transform the space into a living room, centered around a giant chess board and pieces, all meticulously crafted in collaboration with artisans from Fes and Rabat.
Other key highlights include Making a rukus!, an exhibition exploring Black LGBTQIA+ creativity curated by Topher Campbell and Waves of Change: From Aureol to Modern Britain exhibition by the Nigeria Art Society, which traces the journey of Nigerian artists who have made the U.K. their home.
Five artists — Slimen Elkamel, Derrick O Boateng, Valerie Ohana Azogui, Anaëlle Myriam Chaaib, and Tiffanie Delune — will also explore the intersection of art and fragrance through new works. Additionally, installations like In the Absence by Shabu Mwangi and Ngugi Waweru of Wajukuu Art Project offer immersive spaces for contemplation and emphasize the fair’s commitment to balancing tradition and innovation.
Photo courtesy of Nigeria Art Society U.K.
Ade Ogundimu’s installation ‘Abeokuta to Willesden (2024)’ will be a part of the Nigeria Art Society U.K.’s exhibition at 1-54 London.
- A Conversation with Ato Malinda and Yinka Shonibare MBE on Exploring Identity in “African Art” ›
- 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Landing in Marrakech is 2018's Most Anticipated Art Event ›
- 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair NY Marks 5 Years Making Manhattan's Industria Its New Home ›
- 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair Goes to Paris in 2021 ›
- African Artists At London’s "1:54 Art Fair" Rethink Traditions ›