Art X Lagos has pushed back its forthcoming edition amidst ongoing protests in Nigeria against police violence. The art fair says that it was just the disruption that fuelled their decision to postpone the event, but that they felt it would not be right out of respect to those who have died during the state repression of the demonstrations.
The protests have coalesced around the hashtag #EndSARS, a reference to the much-hated Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigerian police with a long history of abuses. The protests have ballooned, drawing on more general disaffection with the government, inequality and corruption.
Though SARS was officially disbanded earlier this month in response to the unrest, on 20 October, amidst a state-wide curfew, the Nigerian army opened fire on a peaceful protest, resulting in a number of deaths and injuries.
The fair was supposed to open 6 November for five days.
Tokini Peterside, the founder of Art X Collective which runs the event said: ‘Although we have taken the decision to postpone this year’s fair until a later date in 2020, our dedication to championing the excellence, creativity and resilience of artists from Africa and the Diaspora remains unchanged.’
‘2020 has been a year of awakening – from the turmoil and trauma of the #EndSARS protests sweeping across Nigeria, the ongoing pandemic being experienced around the world, and the global reckoning with centuries of inequality and violence against black bodies.
‘As an organisation led and run by young people, ART X Collective stands with the activists fighting for Nigeria’s future. We are vehemently against police brutality and fully support those who are against a system that denies essential civil liberties, freedom and opportunity to its people.’
Earlier this month, ART X Collective announced a new initiative for the photographers and filmmakers who have captured the #EndSARS protests, receiving 1,000 applications. The rescheduled event will include an exhibition of a selection of these.
