Begin the year with one of the most anticipated art exhibitions in 2026: The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, the first and only international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, began in 2013 when curator Touria El Glaoui launched it with a clear ambition: give these artists the same international stage as every other “must-see” scene.
Begin the year with one of the most anticipated art exhibitions in 2026: The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, the first and only international art fair dedicated to contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora, began in 2013 when curator Touria El Glaoui launched it with a clear ambition: give these artists the same international stage as every other “must-see” scene.
February 5, 2026
The title reads like a geographic truth — one continent, fifty-four countrie, and the fair treats that number as a promise: Africa’s artistic output arrives as plural, layered, and richly specific, far from a single storyline. This year, 1-54 takes place at two main venues: La Mamounia and DaDa Marrakech, from February 5–8.
That philosophy matters because major art markets spent years leaving contemporary African practice outside the main commercial conversation. 1-54 counters that by making visibility structural: serious galleries, serious collectors, and programming led by artists, curators, and cultural practitioners. El Glaoui describes the shift as “a rewriting of sorts led by artists and cultural practitioners.”
The fair’s calendar is strategic. London remains the flagship, debuting during Frieze Week and returning each year to Somerset House. New York followed in 2015. Marrakech, launched in 2018, functions as a home-based edition on the continent, while pop-ups in cities like Paris and Hong Kong extend the circuit.
Ibrahim El-Salahi (Vigo Gallery): The Sudanese modernist master's solo booth was the fair's intellectual anchor. His intricate, meditative drawings and paintings — some priced upwards of £40,000, demonstrated why he remains one of the most significant living artists from the continent.
Amoako Boafo, Blank Stare (Gallery 1957): One of the most significant commercial moments of the fair was the announcement that Tate London acquired this 2021 painting. Boafo's signature finger-painted portraits continue to be the "blue-chip" standard of the fair.
Ange Dakouo, Gris-Gris Tissés (So Art Gallery):
Dakouo’s "woven amulets" made from newspaper, cardboard, and cotton thread received immense praise for their texture and depth. These works bridge the gap between West African spiritual traditions and contemporary urban materiality.
As Marrakech settles into the last evening of the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, the fair’s promise feels beautifully concrete: fifty-four countries, infinite vocabularies. From La Mamounia’s polished grandeur to DaDa’s restless contemporary pulse, the city becomes a frame where Africa and its diaspora read as complexity, craft, and constant reinvention.
