Each art fair season prompts the question: Why visit an art fair if you’re not an arts journalist or a collector? The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, initiated in 2013 by Touria El Glaoui, provides an answer by continuously presenting surprises and the joy of discovery. Among New York’s spring art fairs, the event at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in Manhattan, open through Sunday, showcases unexpected artworks.
Aura, a Brazilian gallery, is highlighting Rommulo Vieira Conceição’s work. His wall installation, titled ‘the physical space requires that the other be ally or enemy, n10’ (2025), features a Pop-art style with oceanic waves in varied blues set against yellow and purple tiles. Constructed from modern materials like PVC, resin, and automotive paint, Aura Director Edoardo Biancheri noted that Conceição aims to provoke discussion about Brazil’s influence on the U.S. through its Concrete art movement of the 1940s and 1950s. The piece is a layered creation that serves as both art and historical narrative.
Other innovative material combinations caught my eye. At the booth of Current: Baha Mar Gallery and Art Center from the Bahamas, Kendra Frorup’s ‘A Light Sense’ (2022) presents black-and-white prints of sugar apples, enhanced by burnt orange glass versions suspended by beaded wires. This work elevates the fruit from a mere specimen to a celebrated element of the Bahamian ecosystem.
TM Arthouse features Eymric Moderne from Martinique, with ‘Les trois oiseaux en échos’ (2021), which combines gold leaf and acrylic paint to create a vibrant jungle scene. The intricately decorated birds blend into the flora, but glass shards on their heads catch the light, distinguishing them. This piece blurs the boundaries between representation and abstraction. Similarly, Loeve and Co’s posthumous display of Marcel Gotène’s work shows how these styles coexist in ‘Untitled’ (circa 1960), a dense interplay of colors and forms.
Blond Contemporary from London presents Sophia Bounou, a French-Moroccan artist whose paintings depict underground mines with pre-20th-century masks. Her work ‘Viridarium’ (2025) displays stylized faces that challenge viewers to see new perspectives. Meanwhile, at Tanya Weddemire Gallery, Candice Tavares’ ‘Inside’ (2026) features a Black woman with colorful hair, embodying the Black Romantic genre’s idealized depictions.
During my visit on Wednesday, Touria El Glaoui mentioned that New York’s fair has a different energy than Marrakesh’s edition earlier this year. With 20 exhibitors, down from 28 last year, El Glaoui attributes the change to a sluggish art market, resulting in a subdued atmosphere. Nonetheless, the work on display continues to engage and inspire its audience.
