The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair is the leading international event for contemporary work by artists from Africa and the diaspora. This year sees more than half of the 47 exhibiting galleries hailing from the continent itself.
“Highlighting African galleries and artists at 1-54 in London plays a vital role in expanding the reach of contemporary African art to a global audience,” the fair’s founder and director Touria El Glaoui says in a statement. “London, being a major cultural hub, provides an ideal platform to introduce the diverse and dynamic creativity coming from the continent and its diaspora.”
Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu (2024) is on display at the Serpentine North Photo: George Darrell; courtesy Serpentine and The Melrose Gallery
One of the highlights at this year’s fair is The Melrose Gallery’s stand, dedicated to the work of Esther Mahlangu, an 88-year-old artist from South Africa who has been painting for nearly eight decades. The solo stand coincides with the unveiling of a large, site-specific mural by Mahlangu outside the Serpentine North. It is called Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu, which translated from Ndebele means “I am because you are”.
“The mural at the Serpentine is going to be seen by millions of people, and it cements her place as one of the most important artists of her time,” says Craig Mark, the director of The Melrose Gallery.
Creating a legacy
Mahlangu’s work is already very much in demand, Mark says, although at this stage of her career the gallery is not necessarily trying to sell as much as possible. “It’s more about trying to place works in important collections and museums to try to contribute towards her legacy, so that the public can get to experience her works in the future. We’re doing the art fairs because it’s a way we can introduce her work to collectors and museums,” Mark says. Her best known work may be her collaboration with BMW on one of its Art Cars in 1991, commissioned to mark the repeal of apartheid legislation in South Africa. It was on display at the British Museum between 2016 and 2017.
Mahlangu’s colourful canvases and vases incorporate elements of traditional Ndebele design with more contemporary mediums. The works at the stand are priced between $5,500 and $30,000: “low, considering her standing”, Mark says. At least six had sold by the afternoon of the preview yesterday, he says.
“There are very few Black South African artists who were born in 1935 who have managed to break into the international art market,” Mark says. “It’s a very important moment for the whole continent to see her recognised. She stands as an inspiration to all of our artists from Africa as to what they can achieve, but also has the whole sector looking at Africa for who else they can collaborate with to get them to that point.”
• 1-54 runs at Somerset House until Sunday 13 October