Art festivals play a significant role in shaping and sustaining culture. These art fairs and festival create platforms that allow for artistic expression, bringing together different communities to engage and celebrate with art. With artists experimenting with different art mediums, styles and themes, art has become a means for cultural expression. Not only do these events provide a sense of belonging, they also serve as a means for cultural preservation, social cohesion and economic growth.
If you missed out on the art festivals that took place from the beginning of the year till now, but are still looking forward to the upcoming ones, here are some visual art festivals scheduled for the rest of 2024!!
Venice Biennale (Venice, Italy)
Known as the ‘Olympics of the art world’, Venice Biennale is an international art biennial festival that takes place in Venice, Italy. This year marks the 60th edition of the festival and it has been ongoing since April 20 and is expected to run through until November 24, 2024. The artistic director for this year is Adriano Pedro, curator of the Sao Paulo Museum of Art.
The central exhibition for this year ‘Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere’ is based on outsider and marginalized figures, as the festival extends beyond art exhibition. It exhibits cultural exchange as well as environmental sustainability.
With 88 countries contributing their national pavilions, the biennale hosts 13 African countries including Nigeria, Benin Republic, Kenya, Congo, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Ethiopia, Cameroon amongst others. Apart from visual art exhibitions, the biennale showcases other arts like architecture, dance, theater, film and music. The biennale transforms the city of Venice into a canvas for various cultural expressions, showcasing art pieces that seeks to inspire and provoke change.
Dak’Art – Biennale of Contemporary African Art (Dakar, Senegal)
Dak’Art is one of the most significant contemporary art events in Africa, established in the year 1989, to promote Africa’s modern cultural heritage. The 15th edition of the exhibit originally scheduled to hold from May 16th – June 16th, 2024 was postponed till November 7th – December 7th, 2024. The theme for the festival “The Wake” under the artistic direction of Salimata Diop, reflects the current political, social and environmental changes in the city of Dakar.
58 artists from Africa and the Diaspora have been selected for the exhibition. From sculpture to drawing, virtual reality, photography and sound, the selection process was done to foster inclusivity, balance and a celebration of the diverse artistic expressions. The Musée des Civilisations Noires will be showcasing national pavilions, the Maison de la Culture Douta Seck and the Galerie nationale d’art will host fine art exhibitions.
Art X Lagos (Lagos, Nigeria)
Art X Lagos is West Africa’s premier international art fair in Lagos, Nigeria which was founded and launched in 2016. The 9th edition of the fair will take place between October 31st – November 3rd, 2024. Art X Lagos is usually a four day affair, featuring art galleries in Africa and the Diaspora, spotlighting both well known artists and emerging artists. The fair includes a talk programme, Art X Talks, special projects to entertain and engage the audience, live art and music performances at the Art X Live as well as the Art X Price- an annual award for emerging artists across Africa and the Diaspora.
The fair will commence with the Collectors’ Preview on October 31st, followed by the VIP Preview on November 1st and then Public Open Days on the 2nd and 3rd. Featuring galleries and artists from over 40 countries, Art X Lagos has proven to be a significant influence on the West African art market.
Art Basel (Miami)
Art Basel which is said to be North America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair will be holding its 21st edition on the 6th -8th of December at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The fair will attract art dealers, collectors, enthusiasts, and artists who will have access to modern and contemporary art from 277 galleries around the world. The convention center will be divided into various sections;
- Galleries: this is the main area where top galleries will showcase major art pieces
- Positions: this section will cater to solo exhibitions by 16 emerging international artists.
- Nova: this section will be showcasing 22 presentations from 22 galleries
- Survey: here, 16 galleries will present art pieces created before the year 2000
- Kabinett: features curated displays by galleries in a separate section of their booth.
The Art Basel, Miami is one of the 4 Art Basel fairs in the world. The others holds in Paris, Hong Kong and Basel, Switzerland which is the founding fair.
Frieze Art Fair (London, UK)
The Frieze Art Fair London will take place from 9th- 13th October, 2024 alongside Frieze Masters at The Regents Park. The fair will include special projects like the Frieze London Artist Award, Frieze Masters Talks and collaborations with key art organizations and it will feature more than 160 galleries from 43 countries.
This year, upon entering the fair, visitors will see a pair of stands selected by the committee showing outstanding solo artist presentation. This will ensure that new voices will have access to increased visibility.
The Frieze London Art Fair will have sections like,
- Smoke: organized by Pablo José Ramírez (Curator of the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles). This section will present ceramic works from international artists
- Artist to Artist: this section will showcase 6 solo presentations selected by world renowned artists Hurvin Anderson, Yinka Shonibare, Rashid Johnson, Glenn Ligon, Zineb Sedira and Lubaina Himid.
- Focus: this section is dedicated to the young gallery community
- Editions: This section will feature limited artworks created by leading international artists.
The Frieze Art Fair also holds in Seoul, Los Angeles and New York.
