A Guide to Gallery Visits in Lagos

The year is 2018 and I am in university. My university has set up an excursion to Nike Art Gallery in Lekki, Lagos. The visit is wholesome. There are over 7,000 artworks on display and so many floors and walls to cover. Art is everywhere in this white building. At the end of our exploration and musings, we are adorned in cultural outfits: Heavy beads and caps and wrappers from the three major ethnic groups - Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba.

A photo that would be etched in my memory forever is taken. The sculptures, paintings, and inventive mediums in Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye’s art house births a new curiosity in me. As we ride back to school, I start to entertain the idea of visiting art galleries and journalling my experiences.

You see, it has been close to a decade since that life-changing art experience. An explorer myself, I have now grown into an art tourism advocate, culture writer, and tour guide writing more than 50 reviews on my many visits to art galleries across Lagos, Oyo, and Osun state. These reviews have been read all over the world!

The year is now 2026. The contrast is clear.

While I looked at art and appreciated it on a surface-level, I am currently more intrigued by their media, composition, placement, etc. I try to never miss an opportunity to interview artists and when I do, I ask questions about inspirations and techniques. It holds a deeper meaning to me. Art in itself is becoming less of an acquired taste for Nigerians.

It is easier to convince friends and acquaintances to join me on gallery hopping weekends because of social media compared to word-of-mouth.

“Hey, let’s try to visit seven art galleries on Saturday,” I told a friend.

Within minutes, he says yes after he confirms my itinerary and surfs each gallery’s social media feed. It is now that easy! But some people may be hesitant. I always try to convince them whenever I can.

Over the years, art galleries in Lagos have evolved. Once, there was an epoch of art preservation where art galleries existed purely to sell art. Collections were somewhat permanent and unchanging. However, more art galleries now apply an intentionality to their collections at any given time; running all-year calendars for art exhibitions. This approach enhances how art is showcased and exposes newer artists to fresh audiences rather than a permanence of creatives, I presume.

For artists, residences are also becoming increasingly popular, giving them an opportunity to enhance their craft and self-discover. When it comes to how Lagos galleries engage visitors, I believe that they are much more receptive and intentional about giving visitors an experience.

One of these ways that I argue for is participatory art. While art exhibitions are commonly known to now feature finger foods and wine to make the audience stay for longer, art galleries that experiment with participatory art give visitors the opportunity to work away with a piece of the gallery or a more unforgettable feeling.

For example, the 2026 edition of Lagos Gallery Weekend hosted workshops, film screenings, performances, artist talks, and curatorial tours at popular art spaces and galleries in Lagos. Asides from viewing art, marrying these activities to the paintings, sculptures, and installations on display can create an immersion and memory that is unmatched, I suggest.

When I visited Nike Art Gallery on a Sunday in recent months, I was met with drummers playing the Yoruba talking drum. Their rhythmic tunes made me pull out my phone to record and walk away with something even more. Ha! If I was a good dancer, maybe I’d show some moves.

Seeing that many art exhibitions now come with artist talks or extra activities, I can state that the idea of participatory art is becoming increasingly welcomed locally. These tasks and assignments can be much better than post-cards.

If all of these fascinates you, how can you visit an art gallery in Lagos?

Simple! Two ways: Start with Google Maps or Instagram if you have not subscribed to any art gallery newsletter beforehand. A simple “Art Galleries around me” should do the job. Asides from knowing your next stop, also note that most galleries in Lagos offer free entry upon arrival. Now isn’t that amazing? While some may argue that art should be gated and access to exhibitions should include fees, I believe that the free access model is sustainable for the art scene.

Even with free access, artworks still get sold out at exhibitions. It is not hard to come across red dots on an art label that signifies sold from the first day of exhibitions. Art has a role to play in reflecting cultural values, sparking social change, and fostering empathy and connection among people and adding a price tag to such will cut off a certain audience due to financial status. It is a selfless and generous endeavour to make access to art galleries free.

And there can be a good societal cause, you know?

For example, Art TwentyOne’s Statues Also Breathe exhibition between 2022 and 2023 composed of carvings inspired by ancient Ife terracotta heads. This major project raised awareness about the plight of the Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in Borno in 2014.

Recall that I mentioned the instrumentalization of social media for art propagation? In Lagos, there are few artists who have mastered the use of social media to drive their message and craft. One of them is Anthony Azekwoh, a Lagos-based artist. In The Wedding, his exhibition shown at 1952 Africa in 2025, the artist continued to create anticipation for the exhibition by introducing us to new characters and creating room for everyone to create a lore. In fact, I have personally read a few stories and assumptions. The most interesting part? The paintings and their connection to each other is still mostly mysterious.

The proliferation of The Wedding is a masterclass on leveraging social media for art marketing. It worked because of hashtags, FOMO, and storytelling. His tweets went viral a few times, and his show naturally worked because of the initial anticipation. And yes, it can be repeated.

In fact, another artist who successfully hacked social media is Dr. Adefemi (Fola) David for his 2024 Guinness World Record attempt for largest drawing by an individual. While the story spoke for itself, the buildup to the main event with its #UnityInDiversity hashtag is enthralling. It’s no surprise that Dadaboy Ehiz, Hilda Baci, and Peter Obi paid a visit to the stadium where the attempt happened.

Let’s switch.

Now that you know how to pick art galleries to visit, what are some etiquette tips that you should know based on what I have garnered from my real experiences? Some things to keep in mind are handling food and drinks, keeping the noise down, understanding your preference for attendance (opening days vs other days) based on your extroversion or introversion. Also, when you want to take photos, be careful.

I have written about this expressively here so you can get more context. However, if there is anything you should take away: Do not lean on or touch the art. Whenever I take friends to see art exhibitions and they touch the art out of curiosity, I squint my eyes and skip a heartbeat. Some of these works are so delicate that a touch could change their appearance over time. See Juliet’s Statue (Verona, Italy) and Mark Rothko’s Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8 (Rotterdam, Netherlands). Please, do not.

Personally, people are also now learning to put in more effort in not making noise at art galleries, however, it is hard to contain excitement sometimes. I recently got an email for Art x Lagos which will take place from November 5 to November 8, 2026. Ahead of this event and any other upcoming in the art season (as usual), please stay curious, maintain composure, and DO NOT TOUCH THE ART.

Another question since I mentioned taking photos: Should art galleries in Lagos be seen as a serious art space or as a content-creation opportunity?

As I mentioned earlier, galleries, with the role that they play in society as tools of cultural preservation, are sometimes belittled to cool backdrops and spaces for Instagram pictures and content creation with the serious undertones deprioritized by many visitors.

A good example of this would be another art exhibition at Art TwentyOne. Yusuff Aina’s Eniyan: Escape Room encapsulated the depths of his emotional exploration and the potent influence of self-discovery. However, many visited to take pictures because of the bursts of colours that the artist used in his show. I suppose that they failed to understand that there was a delicate backdrop with Yusuff’s paintings and sculptures to represent his birth with an umbilical cord around his neck, as well as emotions mapped to the coloured granite stones that each represented a room.

Within weeks, the gallery and artist stopped visitors from taking photos. I would not personally recommend this, but the move may have streamlined visitors to be serious participants in the art experience. I navigate this by understanding the intent of exhibitions, thought-process of artists, and usage of space.

While seriousness is important, I also cannot undermine the importance of content creation in art spaces for documentation, organic marketing, and nostalgia. I like to think that while there could be occasional tension picking between sides. Visiting galleries as a serious participant or content creation buff needs to be balanced.

I have lost count of the number of art galleries and exhibitions that I have taken part in. But, it is hard to miss a good art exhibition when I see one.

What makes an exhibition stand out to me are:

1.Excellent use of space

2.A curatorial statement that matches the works on display

3.Presence of the artists and curatorial tours

4.Options to partake in any participatory art activity such as bead-making, painting, tie and dye, etc.

5.Inclusion of other art like music, dancing, or spoken word

That said, there are patterns that I have started to notice in how galleries are announcing and hiking interest for the 2026 programming. The obvious? Social media of course! There is also the instance where art galleries now tell stories and share interviews focusing on the artists, allowing the audience to appreciate the works more once they are on view.

In this art season and 2026 programming, I would love to see more experimental mediums that I have never seen before. Artists who dare to use found objects or re-invent existing mediums should be brought to the fore. That will be very interesting.

If you want to approach this 2026 art season as a first-time gallery visitor in Lagos, go on multiple days. Don't just run through.

Art X Lagos is upon us and there are many exhibitions in tow. Visit on multiple days and see different sections at a time, if and when you can afford to. Participate in artist talks, workshops, and masterclasses. Some of my best experiences are when artists are around to speak and teach.

Please know, art does not have to be an acquired taste. You too can start adding gallery hopping to your weekend routines.

The best part? You can experience all of this for free!