Art X Lagos explores Africa's "Promised Lands"

The 9th edition of ART X, Africa's premier international art fair, took place in Lagos, Nigeria. This year's event welcomed several artists and exhibitors from all of Africa and the diaspora, showcasing a diverse range of contemporary artworks.

The annual fair attracted hundreds of guests, including art enthusiasts, collectors, and critics, featuring exhibitions, installations and interactive experiences that challenged their perspectives on the fair's central theme, ''Promised Lands.''

“Some of the questions that we’ve been asked here, they kind of help the viewers or the visitors connect to the artwork and it gives it a kind of purpose beyond just pretty pictures on walls, or pretty installations. It gives the visitor something to leave with, something to think about, as they walk through the exhibition and as they walk out to resume their lives,'' Mosope Oyesanya said.

Oyesanya spoke in front of a wall adorned with yellow notes, containing responses from guests about their concept of ''Promised Lands.''

The wall transformed into a canvas of collective vision, real or imagined.

“It is quite interesting to see what appeals to different people right, and there is one thing that definitely stood out and that was peace. This, I think, is art,'' Vanessa Onwudiwe said.

Across the room, a thought-provoking installation, ''Art Across Borders''.

The harsh realities of migration and visa struggles hit home.

A passport bearing the phrase Visa Denied lay alongside a mock Republic of Japa passport, a reminder of Nigeria's brain drain in pursuit of ''Promised Lands''.

For Oritsejolomi Otomewo, this art installation served as a wake-up call to secure his own passport, acknowledging the 'promised land' that he seeks.

Art X Lagos, provides a platform for artists to connect and discuss positive change for Africa.