Layered Histories and Bold Futures at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair

The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair returns to New York from May 8th to 11th, 2025, taking over the striking new Halo venue at 28 Liberty Street in Lower Manhattan. As the only international African Art Fair dedicated entirely to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, 1-54 stands as a vital cultural moment—both on the city’s calendar and the global stage.

Now in its eleventh New York edition, the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair brings together 30 dynamic galleries from 17 countries across five continents. This year, 15 of those are new participants, a testament to the fair’s growing influence and continued relevance in showcasing contemporary African voices.

Among the highlights is Fractured Memories, Shattered Silences, a curated presentation by The African Art Hub. Featuring four rising talents—Ibrahim Bamidele, Reggie Khumalo, Ayogu Kingsley, and Sebastien Boko—the project unpacks the complexities of identity, trauma, and memory through sculpture and painting. Drawing from the theory of postmemory, The African Art Hub transforms its booth into a space for healing, reflection, and resistance, challenging dominant narratives and reclaiming cultural legacies.

Set against the backdrop of Frieze Week, the African Art Fair positions itself not as a sidebar, but as a focal point. The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair continues to reframe contemporary art from the continent, offering not just visibility but agency—and doing so with clarity, conviction, and purpose.