Dedicated to contemporary art and design, Douala Art Fair launches its first edition in June 2018 and stands as the meeting point in between artists, Cameroonians and the rest of the world.

It is clear that without a market place, it is difficult to build structured and sustainable artistic scene as well as to arouse some interest in arts. Douala Art Fair’s mission is to help Douala and Cameroon emerge as a main spot in the African contemporary art market, involving its local artistic scene as well as Cameroonians.

These last years, African art echos on the international contemporary art scene, however it has mainly shone from the angle of the Western gaze.

Artistic events like DAK’ART; 1:54, illustrate very well this dynamism. The fact is the absence of key success factors in the art sector in Central Africa, namely, gallery owners, traders, collectors who are not very visible on the local level.

Douala Art Fair is a unique contemporary art fair. Unlike the classical model gathering of galleries exhibiting their artists, they will present artists selected by a selection committee. Why? Because Cameroon and its 24 million inhabitants have only one gallery and some art centers.

The singularity of this first edition is definitely a real opportunity. Indeed, 25 artists exhibiting this year will attract galleries from around the world to see their work and tomorrow, expose them to Douala Art Fair but also in the whole world.

In keeping with its mission to serve as and activator for the arts economy in full growth in Africa and strengthen the patronage of African artists across the continent, Douala Art Fair will award three prizes, one to a young talent and two others to confirmed artists.

Rendez-vous from 1st to 3rd June at Canal Olympia to discover the Cameroonian artistic scene in full boiling.

www.facebook.com/DoualaArtFair/