The Lagos Biennale has announced the launch of a historic volume that chronicles the past four editions of the Biennale, along with curatorial reflections on its upcoming edition in 2026.
“Lagos: The Making of an African Capital of Culture” is the title of the book, drawn from an essay by Bisi Silva, the renowned Nigerian art curator and founder of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos, who passed away in 2019. Architecturally conceived, the publication invites readers to explore innovative artistic interventions carried out in iconic colonial and post-independence sites in Lagos, including the Nigerian Railway Corporation (2017), the Independence House (2019), and Tafawa Balewa Square (2021 and 2024).
The book offers a powerful narrative of how artists from Africa and across the world continue to engage with, shape, and inhabit these evolving urban spaces, while underscoring Lagos’s internationalism.
With contributions from 161 international artists, the publication captures the vibrancy and complexity of contemporary artistic discourse within historically charged settings. Housed in a sculptural concrete case, modeled after the façade of Tafawa Balewa Square — the symbolic site of Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960 — the book transcends the idea of a conventional publication. It is not just a coffee table book; it is the coffee table.
The sculpture and publication will be officially launched on November 4, 2025, at the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON Center) in Lagos, in celebration of the 65th anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence. The book will be published in a limited edition of 65 copies, with proceeds directed toward the development and construction of the Biennale’s new headquarters: the Àkéte Collection – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Lagos.
The 5th edition of the Lagos Biennale will take place in 2026, under the theme “The Museum of Invisible Things”, a thought-provoking exploration of what constitutes a museum, which stories are told, and who tells them. Founded by artists in 2017, the Biennale is a non-profit contemporary art platform organized by the Àkéte Art Foundation, a Lagos-based artists’ collective.
Photos: Sinazo Chiya
Written by: Eduardo Quive
