The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in New York (May 13–17, 2026) will debut a curated section titled '1-54 Presents: Brazil Beyond Brazil,' focusing exclusively on Afro-Brazilian art and artists. Organized by Brazilian curator Igor Simões, the section features works by ten Black Brazilian artists—including Ana Claudia Almeida, Rebeca Carapiá, and Rommulo Vieira Conceição—presented by leading Brazilian galleries such as Almeida & Dale, Fortes D’Aloia & Gabriel, Nara Roesler, and Aura. The initiative draws on archival research, reinterprets modernist legacies, and challenges narrow narratives around Afro-Brazilian art, highlighting the cultural links between Africa and Latin America.
This marks the first time Afro-Brazilian art takes center stage at 1-54, reflecting the fair's expanding focus on art from the African diaspora, which already includes dedicated Caribbean and African American sections. The section addresses the historical invisibility and fetishization of Afro-Brazilian artists within global art discourse, while also responding to Brazil's status as the country with the largest Black population outside Africa. The project emerged from a 2025 trip to São Paulo organized by 1-54 and ISE-DA, which connected fair director Touria El Glaoui with local artists, collectors, and institutions, underscoring a growing effort to amplify underrepresented voices in the international art market.