The Invisible Man
Since 2016, 1-54 has selected an artist for the 1-54 Courtyard Sculpture Commission as part of the Special Project section of the fair.
This commission allows artists from the African continent and its diaspora to produce and exhibit a large-large-scale sculpture in the majestic backdrop of Somerset House’s Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court.
In 2016, artist Zak Ové paid tribute to African and Trinidadian identities which have been given new meanings through the cross cultural dispersion of ideas through his installation The Invisible Man. For 1-54, Ové created a courtyard installation that positions a time travelling army of masked Invisible men within the grand surroundings and historical heritage of Somerset House. The installation comments on the relationship between power, beauty, identity and skin colour — a dynamic epitomized by the Masque of Blackness enacted by Anne of Denmark and her court ladies in 1605 to the disdain of James I.
Summer Surprise
1-54 London 2017 Pascale Marthine Installation Summer Surprise © Katrina Sorrentino
In 2017 Galleria Continua produced together with 1-54, Summer Surprise, a site-specific installation by Cameroonian artist Pascale Marthine. The installation references togunas, public structures native to Mali, built for the purpose of discussing community and constitutional issues. Its location at the heart of village life makes it a meeting point for debate and intellectual exchange. By installing Summer Surprise at the centre point of the fair, Tayou aims to similarly engage visitors and initiate discussion surrounding modern forms of violence.
Take a virtual tour of the installation
Meditation Tree
1-54 London 2018 Ibrahim El-Salahi Installation Meditation Tree © Katrina Sorrentino
For the 2018 London edition, Ibrahim El-Salahi presented Meditation Tree, supported by Kamel Lazaar Foundation (KLF).
This installation was inspired by the indigenous Haraz tree. With its spiky thorns and unusual behaviour - it drops its leaves while other trees grow them - the Haraz tree is celebrated in Sudanese proverbs, songs, poetry and drama. And, for El-Salahi, it’s a metaphor for artistic identity.
The Fortress
1-54 London 2019 Kiluanji Kia Henda © Katrina Sorrentino
For the 2019 edition of the 1-54 Courtyard Sculpture Commission, Kiluanji Kia Henda has been selected for his evocative work, The Fortress.
The Fortress forms part of the series A City Called Mirage and serves as a reminder of the ephemeral nature of human constructions. The series is inspired by processes of erosion and transience that Kia Henda witnessed in the Angolan desert, culminating in an imaginary cityscape in which the artist investigates the idea of cities oscillating between the states of virtuality and desertification. Kia Henda uses science, mythological fiction and irony as ways to transcend the pessimism of hyper-criticism and the aesthetics of the ruin.
Aerial BB Paintings
1-54 London 2021 Lakwena Maciver © Jim Winslet
For the 2021 London edition, Lakwena Maciver presented Aerial BB Paintings supported by Vigo Gallery.
London-based artist Lakwena Maciver produced 20 large-scale basketball paintings in her signature bold style. Her approach is instinctive and autodidactic, producing immersive installations employing acid bright colour and bold typographic text.
“It’s an expression of Black joy”, says Lakwena while describing her basketball paintings installation at 1-54.