The Library was more than a static installation; it was a participatory tool rooted in the belief that communal access to knowledge can be transformative. Returning for its third iteration, this sanctuary and hub was an invitation to serendipitously discover content and resources through the lens of its theme.
“Imagining Otherwise, No Matter the Tide” responded to Lagos—its history, geography, and people. The Library drew inspiration from the once common mangrove forests, a local species adapted to dynamic landscapes along West Africa’s coasts. Owing to their stabilizing and "waywardly" replicating roots, mangroves resiliently withstand changing tides while renewing and creating an ecosystem for multispecies thriving. In this spirit, the Library cultivated interconnectedness, offering books generously loaned from the Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation art library, the ART X curators' section illuminating their artistic research, select programming from ART X Cinema, and an exhibition of works by artist Bruce Onobrakpeya.
Thematic Sections in The Library
Echoing the exhibition’s thematic strands such as Art and Healing,Textile, Craft and Fashion, West Africa heritage in textile Arts, Diaspora, Painting, and Abstraction, the Library’s collections served not only as reference points but also as tactile pathways into the research underpinning the fair. They invited visitors to explore how texts have shaped curatorial choices and artistic narratives.
Exhibition Summary: Bruce Onobrakpeya
Bruce Onobrakpeya: A Constant Commitment
The exhibition explored Bruce Onobrakpeya's artistic journey, rooted in his childhood experience of oral knowledge transmission within his community, notably through "Tales by Moonlight" shared by his mother and elders. It delved into the core themes and motivations of his practice, emphasising the democracy of art as a powerful tool for societal learning and upliftment. It also examined his unwavering commitment to stewardship as an indigenous ethic for daily living. Finally, the exhibition highlighted his remarkable resilience as an artist, evident in his dedication to crafting a unique voice and his continuous creative experimentation, particularly within his paper-based works of sketches and prints, including artworks dating back to his student years.
Artwork Elements:
- A presentation of existing paper-based artworks dealing with notions of “how we tend to and take care of life” through subjects including landscape, folktales, myths, animalia, nature, literature, spirituality, allegories, societal upliftment and the everyday.
- Thematic lines delved into the artist's journey—from idea to sketch to print—including the critical role of experimentation.
- Showcasing the artist’s commitment to stewardship and ethical living, by drawing on local knowledge systems of transmission and storytelling, and further re-inventing for the times through the practice of print
The Library at ART X Lagos 2025 was more than a repository. It was a crossroads of ideas, a showcase of intellectual roots, and a catalyst for collective imagining. It underscored how cities, like mangroves, are spaces of resilience, adaptability, and communal growth.
This Library was curated by Missla Libsekal and sponsored by Stanbic IBTC Pension Managers.