AKAA Art Fair Celebrates 10th Anniversary in Paris
Paris is celebrating the tenth anniversary of AKAA (Also Known As Africa), a contemporary art and design fair focused on artists from Africa and its diaspora. The fair's sustained success highlights the growing influence of cross-cultural narratives within the Parisian art scene. Its model offers a framework for integrating global perspectives into fashion campaigns and brand collaborations.
- The 10th-anniversary edition, held from October 24 to 26, 2025, at the Carreau du Temple, is curated by new artistic director Sitor Senghor, a Franco-Senegalese curator and art dealer. Senghor is the great-grandnephew of the poet and first president of Senegal, Léopold Sédar Senghor. - This year's fair emphasizes the theme of "matter," focusing on how artists utilize materials—whether pigmented, woven, enameled, or repurposed—to explore heritage and contemporary creation. This aligns with a broader luxury trend of repositioning around artisanship. - The event will showcase over 100 artists and 40 international galleries from countries including Angola, Italy, South Africa, and Japan, highlighting a global perspective on African art. - Founded by Victoria Mann, the fair first launched in 2016 to create a dedicated platform in Paris for contemporary art from Africa and its diasporas, moving beyond clichés and preconceptions. - The fair includes a dedicated cultural platform called "Les Rencontres," which hosts conferences, debates, and screenings where artists, curators, and professionals discuss current issues in the art market. - Among the diverse mediums presented, the fair features designers who treat "garments as glyphs" and artists creating "art-to-wear" pieces, directly connecting the worlds of contemporary art and fashion. - The fair has a track record of helping to discover and establish emerging talent, serving an educational role for new collectors and reinforcing the market for contemporary African art in France. - The previous edition in October 2024 featured 37 exhibitors and over 100 artists, with a special focus on the cultural exchange between Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean.
