ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

1:54 African Art Fair Returns to New York at Pioneer Works

festival-fair · 2026-05-04

The 1:54 African art fair, held annually in London (October) and New York (May), presented its New York edition at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The venue, a former industrial space with wooden trusses and a garden, was praised for its atmosphere. The fair exclusively focuses on contemporary African art, a concept that risks being seen as ghettoizing but which organizers have navigated successfully. The 2018 edition featured sophisticated selections from galleries. Artribune highlighted the fair's growing reputation as a jewel in the art fair circuit.

Key facts

  • 1:54 is a fair dedicated exclusively to contemporary African art.
  • The fair takes place annually in London (October) and New York (May).
  • The 2018 New York edition was held at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
  • The venue is a former industrial space with wooden trusses and a garden.
  • The fair's concept risks being perceived as ghettoizing but has been successful.
  • Artribune described the fair as a 'jewel' with sophisticated selections.
  • The article was published on Artribune in May 2018.
  • The fair is organized by 1:54.

Entities

Institutions

  • 1:54
  • Pioneer Works
  • Artribune

Locations

  • New York
  • London
  • Red Hook
  • Brooklyn

Sources