1:54 London African Art Fair Shows Signs of Fatigue

The 1:54 African Contemporary Art Fair's fourth edition took place at Somerset House from October 6-9, 2016, but received backlash for its lack of innovation. Although it expanded to New York, this year's event felt uninspired, with emerging African artists mimicking established names. Special projects highlighted Malick Sibidé, presenting previously unseen series in Europe, yet artists such as Mustafa Maluka and Romuald Hazoumè seemed predictable. Noteworthy exhibits included Barthélémy Toguo's Bandjoun Station, while research-focused artists like Owanto were restricted to a single piece. Afronova, APalazzo Gallery, and Sabrina Amrani were among the highlights. The Forum section, curated by Koyo Kouoh, continued to excel by featuring rarely seen African authors.