As media partner for 1-54 London, Nataal selects five exhibiting artists that are not to be missed
The current climate has posed a huge challenge to the art fair structure. Thankfully 1-54 London is returning to Somerset House for it’s eighth edition next week (8-10 October), albeit as a scaled down affair with all the necessary precautions in place. The capital’s leading contemporary African art fair has found a way to ignite connectivity in a time of social distancing and remain committed to their vision as a dynamic platform engaged in dialogue and exchange.
On the ground there will be 20 international galleries representing a wide selection of artists from Africa and the diaspora, as well as an innovative online platform in partnership with Christie’s, where there will be further participating galleries providing visitors with a virtual experience of the fair making the blend of online/offline amount to 36 exhibitors from 17 countries. Meanwhile the 1-54 Forum titled ‘I felt like a Black guy from New York trapped in Peru’, will host a plethora of artists’ talks, film screenings and panel discussions that will be curated by Julia Grosse and Yvette Mutumba from Contemporary And (C&).
In collaboration with Somerset House, 1-54 will also present the first major UK retrospective of works by the celebrated late French-Moroccan photographer, video artist and activist Leila Alaoui, showcasing works from between 2008 and 2014 which will be presented alongside Leila Alaoui’s final unfinished video work.
As a media partner for the fair, here’s Nataal’s pick of five artists not to miss at this edition:
Benji Reid - October Gallery
British photographer, performer and creative director, Benji Reid, constructs narratives that speak of his black British experience through self-portraits, calling himself a “choreo-photolist”. His work subverts the mainstream media’s construction of the black male identity and rather focuses on fragility, fatherhood and mental health. “My mind’s eye is always drawn towards the dramatic, the incongruous that speak of the many worlds that resides within us, which in turn sheds light on our humanity,” he tells us. With these themes in mind his work has a masterful sense of play delving into the realms of magical realism where theatre, choreography and photography meet.
Djeneba Aduayom - Galerie Number 8
Born in Togo and currently living in Los Angeles, Djeneba Aduayom has had a long and successful career as an internationally renowned dancer. She has since turned her talents towards photography where the presence of movement, play and liquidity are still very apparent. Her work draws inspiration from performative self-exploration, which combines her African, Italian and French heritage, culminating in the creation of new worlds that invite the viewer to probe and unpack notions of identity and belonging.
Mbali Dhlamini - Sakhile&me
South African multidisciplinary artist and visual researcher, Mbali Dhlamini, merges visual landscapes of the past with the present to further the epistemic project of decolonising African identities. Her works captures women within current indigenous cultural practices, shrouded by shawls, beads and fabric, however the identity of the woman pictured is rendered invisible. Her images flux between questioning the known and unknown, learning and unlearning, and the powerful and powerless.
Manyatsa Monyamane - THK Gallery
Mamelodi-raised, Johannesburg-based photographer, Manyatsa Monyamane, is a visual storyteller who aims to creating images of untold histories. Her work captures the spirit of unsung heroes, celebrating resilience in those who have contributed to creating a new South Africa, especially the elderly. Her work is able to depict a myriad of perspectives, establishing that beauty is plural and porous.
Richard Mudariki – Gallery Delta
Zimbabwean artist Richard Mudariki trained as an archeologist alongside studying painting under the mentorship of artist and gallery owner of Gallery Delta, Helen Leiros. Mudariki’s work is laced with satirical social commentary based on issues circling Zimbabwe and the wider African continent. His pieces are often large-scale with bold flat surfaces of colour that are transfixing. However on closer look, the artist reveals darker narratives of pillage, exploitation and how Zimbabwe remains inextricably bound to the legacy of colonialism.
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair runs from 8 – 10 October 2020 at Somerset House, London. Reserve your tickets and book a time slot here.