We are pleased to announce that the Access ART X Prize 2023, an annual award for emerging artists in Africa and its diaspora, is now open for applications. Guest Artists Space Foundation will once again be hosting one of the winners in Lagos for a three-month residency in the lead-up to the 2024 edition of the fair. The Access ART X Prize awards early-career artists from Africa and its diaspora opportunities to develop their practices, with the intention of setting them up for the highest levels of success on the global stage. 

The Art Exchange: Moving Image programme is a collaborative and cross-cultural curatorial professional development and exhibition programme for early to mid-career visual arts curators from Sub-Saharan Africa working with moving image. The programme is supported by the British Council and organised by LUX, the UK agency for the support and promotion of artists working with moving image, Yinka Shonibare Foundation and Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, Nigeria. During 2023-2024 LUX and Guest Artists Space Foundation will work with curators in Sub-Saharan Africa to develop a series of exhibition projects responding to moving image works in the British Council Collection. Following the open call, we are excited to announce the winning participants in the programme.

The Birtish-Nigerian artist and philanthropist is the official artist of, LUX’s partner, Deutsche Bank Wealth Management, at this year’s Frieze in London. In just a few short years, the Guest Artists Space Foundation spaces in Nigeria, founded by Yinka Shonibare, have seen art residences that are inspiring transformative creative conversations and programmes between artists, local communities, activists, ecologists and more. 

G.A.S. Foundation is proud to announce a partnership with the 2024 edition of the Lagos Biennial. The Lagos Biennial positions the city of Lagos, with its highly international purview, as its hub in supporting and promoting contemporary art through exhibitions, public programmes, publications, research, and residencies. In the lead-up to the forthcoming edition, G.A.S. hosted residencies for exhibiting contemporary visual artists; Nolan Oswald Dennis, Evan Ifekoya, and Raymond Pinto and aided in facilitating the artists' experiences of the city, and creative processes as they prepared for their presentation at the  Biennial.

Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) is seeking two highly organized and proactive individuals to play a crucial role in the successful execution of G.A.S. Foundation's annual Art Tour. They will assist in coordinating event itineraries, logistics, managing event staff, supporting guest needs, and ensuring the smooth operation of various activities throughout the month, including day-to-day operations at the residency. This role holder will support the team across our sites in Lagos and Ijebu. 

In the realm of research and curation, Naima Hassan and Billy Carl Kuatche Fowo embark on a transformative residency, fueled by multifaceted visions. Their mission includes cataloging the G.A.S. Library Picton Collection and exploring Nigerian festival and artist club heritage. Expectations are high as they seek to enrich their research and curatorial practices. Naima, the Picton Collection archivist, plays a pivotal role in their mission, aligning with the Reassemblages 2023-24 program initiated by G.A.S. Foundation. Billy, an experienced curator, aims to expand his practice through connections and collaborations. Supported by the Goethe-Institut and TheMuseumsLab Alumni Projects, their collaborative journey promises to illuminate hidden narratives and foster cultural preservation.

We are pleased to open bookings for the second edition of the Yinka Shonibare Foundation Lagos Art Tour to Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation incorporating the wider creative and cultural community, and ART X Lagos. In 2023 the programme will run from 30th October until 5th November. Guests will once again be in the company of our chair and founder Yinka Shonibare CBE RA and the trustees and staff of Guest Artists Space (G.A.S.) Foundation, Yinka Shonibare Foundation (Y.S.F.), and be joined by globally renowned artists, curators and collectors.

In recent months the EG Farm has undergone a period of strategic re-evaluation following a consultation period with Sogold Agricultural Ventures, a local agricultural college based in Abeokuta. In the first instance, our joint aim was to increase both the variety and volume of harvests whilst providing more opportunities for training and employment. We’re at a stage now where we can share some of the changes that have been implemented. 

Okiki Akinfe and G.A.S. Foundation are inviting young artists and arts students to apply to participate in a group critique or ‘crit’ facilitated by Okiki Akinfe and guest moderators artist  Chidinma Nnoli, and director of 1952 Africa, Tracian Meikle. The aim of the intimate session is to create a supported environment for networking and peer review, to offer an opportunity to exercise evaluation and critical review skills and to use the presented work as a point of departure for in-depth discussions about practice.

This September, G.A.S. Lagos welcomes Glasgow-based Leo Robinson, an artist and musician embarking on a research and production residency supported by our Residency Partner Tiwani Contemporary. His primary goal is to create work for upcoming UK exhibitions while immersing himself in Nigeria's culture, heritage, and music. 

Leo envisions crafting fantasy instruments, exploring his African ancestry, and connecting with traditional craftspeople, particularly those skilled in string instruments like Koras. He eagerly anticipates visits to national museums, galleries, and music venues, seeking inspiration and collecting materials from local markets. With his own tools in tow, Leo is thrilled to experience the diverse artistic landscape of Nigeria, opening new avenues for self-discovery and creative expression.

Belinda Kazeem-Kamiński, PhD, is a Vienna-based writer, artist and scholar, whose practice encompasses visual and performing arts, photography, filmmaking, and research. Belinda, who has exhibited internationally recently presented her multimedia piece Respire at the 2023 Liverpool Biennial. In November 2022, she was the recipient of the first edition of the ART X Diaspora prize and will be presenting new work at this year's edition of the fair.