Ten years ago two contemporary African art fairs were born: 1-54, conceived by the entrepreneur Touria El Glaoui and Investec Cape Town Art Fair. The second one will take place at the end of this week (17-19 February 2023) at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). 88 participating exhibitors, less than the previous edition (106), will present project based on the concept of time.
In 2010 when both events saw the light, many African and diaspora artists suffered from a structural lack of visibility, apart from a few exceptions supported by famous European galleries (eg: Barthélémy Toguo thanks to Lelong Gallery or El Anatsui promoted by Londoner October Gallery). Of course a lot has changed since then, with the opening in 2017 of a department dedicated to African art at Sotheby’s.
At the beginning of this path, from a European point of view, London was the most promising and welcoming market for artworks made by African artists, but now the goal is to create a solid artistic market hub directly on the continent.







To reach this goal 1-54 follows a specific path that differs from Investec Cape Town Art Fair, whose major partner is Fiera Milano SpA. The principle that animates the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair can be included within the concept of "boutique" art fair: a few selected galleries for an equally selected and interested audience, both collectors and art professionals. An equally profitable system if one considers that the artist Nù Barreto, born in the Republic of Guinea Bissau, jumped to the headlines thanks to his participation in one of the first editions of the Moroccan appointment of the fair.
The yearly 1-54 African edition very often serves to allow galleries based in Africa to participate in the other two editions of the fair, respectively London and New York (to which Paris was added in 2021, thanks to the collaboration with Christie's).
Let's not forget that the 54 legally recognized states differ each other enormously in terms of artistic infrastructure: while Morocco has numerous established institutions and galleries, this is not the case in Angola, for example.
Another problem to face is the creation of a group of collectors located on the continent who go beyond the random purchase, in favor of long-term support to institutions and galleries. Educating the public to the real meaning of art as a way of improving the general population condition is still the main element to be addressed and the number of experts in the field of African art, as strange as it may seem when viewed from the European side, need to increase.







Working on the continent to create a real Pan-African collectors base, supported by African art galleries and not only European ones, is a priority and art fairs are the best way to pursuit it.
Now let’s talk about 1-54 Marrakech Contemporary African Art Fair fourth edition results.
Many of the twenty participating art galleries have made interesting deals as Superposition art gallery, which came from Miami Beach.The gallery exhibited works by Audrey Lyall and Ambrose Rhapsody Murray for $6,500 and $25,000 respectively. 193 Gallery, based between Paris and Venice, sold a textile artwork by Yacinthe Ouattara and other eight pieces to Moroccans, English and American art collector. Casablanca-based Galerie 38 sold several works, including one by Abdoulaye Konaté.
A new participant, the Swiss Foreign Agent, presented artworks by the young US artist Nicolas Coleman, selling all of them.
Undoubtedly these have been excellent results: maybe they will be replicated by Investec Cape Town as well.
Without a doubt we will continue to follow the developments of the non-European art market.