The Africell Luanda Feira de Arte / Luanda Art Fair will run between 25–28 June 2025 at the Iron Palace in Luanda
The ‘Africell Luanda Feira de Arte / Luanda Art Fair’ is returning for its second edition, once again taking over the historic Iron Palace in downtown Luanda. Following its debut in 2024, the fair grows – not just in size, but also in ambition. With six commercial galleries (up from five), four additional art spaces including a collective from Kinshasa and up to three collectives of artists from the provinces of Namibe, Huíla and Benguela,, the fair deepens its reach into Angola while widening its scope across Africa.
The fair will run between 25–28 June 2025. Its theme is ‘50 Years Independence of Angola’, setting it up as a tribute to Angola’s creative spirit, resistance, reinvention, and future. Over four days, Luanda will host a curated mix of exhibitions, tours, performances, live art, talks and premium networking events that bring together artists, gallerists, curators, collectors, critics, investors and art lovers from across the country, the continent and beyond. The fair capitalises on the fact that more than two thousand delegates will be in Luanda for the ‘US-Africa Business Summit’ taking place the same week. A solo show dedicated to one of São Tomé & Principe’s most compelling voices in contemporary art, Kwame Sousa will anchor the experience.
The fair opens on 25 June with a special programme focused on the ‘US-Africa Business Summit’, where cultural diplomacy and creative exchange take centre stage. On 26 June, the theme shifts to urban futures and real estate, with a programme led by ‘AngoCasa’ exploring the relationship between art, architecture, and urban development in Angola. On 27 June a workshop entitled ‘The Power of Cultural Journalism’, designed specifically for journalists will take place between 2pm and 5pm, followed by the fair’s signature event, ‘Night at the Fair’ – an after-work celebration of music and DJ sets.
On 28 June, the fair opens fully to the public – free, family-friendly, and community-driven. 28 June is a day for discovery and participation, including workshops for children and adolescents, more performances and live art, and talks on topics including:
- “50 years: Decolonising the Gaze”
- “Photography and Performance: Resistance and Activism in Angolan Contemporary Art”, and
- “Collecting the Uncollectable: New Strategies for Angolan and Pan-African Art Patrimony”.
The fair’s managing director, Dominick A Maia Tanner, describes it as “a simple way to enter the world of art in Angola – whether you’re an investor, an aspiring artist, or just curious”. Backed by Africell, one of Angola’s two main telecoms brands, and the Africell Impact Foundation (the company’s vehicle for arts and culture investments), the fair is also supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Governo da Província de Luanda and the Administração Municipal da Ingombota. It is a bold celebration of Angolan identity, creativity, and connection – and a soft-power statement about where the country’s arts is heading.
“As one of the leading supporters of contemporary art in our operating markets, Africell is proud to support the second edition of the Africell Luanda Art Fair,” says Adriana La Lime, Africell’s Arts and Social Impact Senior Manager. “This landmark event in Angola’s cultural landscape serves as a vital platform for connection, creative expression, and the celebration of the extraordinary talent found in Luanda and across the African continent.”
Set inside the Iron Palace – one of Luanda’s most iconic spaces – the fair is not just showing art, it’s shaping the scene. Director of the Palace, João Vigário, puts it simply: “This fair is helping to redefine how Angolan art is seen – at home and abroad.”
The Africell Luanda Art Fair is open to the public, free of charge, from 10am until 10pm on 28 June.