LONDON.- Artsy and 1:54, the Contemporary African Art Fair, announced their partnership in bringing the fair—Europe’s leading international fair dedicated to contemporary African art, now in its second year in London—online to a global audience. Artsy, the premier online resource for browsing the world’s most influential art fairs offers collectors and art enthusiasts the opportunity to explore the fair, collect works from exhibiting galleries, and access exclusive editorial content including ‘Insider Picks’ on Artsy.net or the Artsy app for iPhone.

This year, 1:54 has doubled in size, taking over both the East and West Wings of Somerset House in London. It will once again provide an unparalleled showcase of the world’s finest Contemporary African Art from 16 to 19 October 2014. The fair is accompanied by a critical conversations series comprising of lectures, artist talks, film screenings and panel discussions presented by international curators, artists and leading experts in the field.

Ahead of the opening, 1:54 and Artsy will launch their partnership with a panel discussion on 9 September 2014 at Artsy’s headquarters in New York City. Panelists will include Touria El Glaoui, director of 1:54, Christa Clarke, senior curator, Arts of Global Africa at Newark Museum, Taymour Grahne, gallerist and exhibitor at 1:54, and Artur Walther, art collector and founder of The Walther Collection. Melanie Edmunds, Content Partner Manager at Artsy, will moderate the conversation.

The collaboration, which follows on the heels of 1:54’s highly successful inaugural event last autumn, marks a global expansion of the fair and signals a growing market for contemporary African art.

Touria El Glaoui, founder and director of 1:54 - Contemporary African Art Fair, says: “We are thrilled to announce 1:54’s partnership with Artsy. This marks a growth of the fair into a new region. Contemporary African art is becoming more attractive to collectors on both sides of the Atlantic, so it seems only right to have a presence in the USA. Even though many international collectors and art enthusiasts will visit the fair, some will be unable to come to London. We are delighted to be creating both an online and interactive presence for those interested in the market to engage with 1:54, and Artsy is the best platform to achieve this goal.”

The online preview of 1:54 opens on 8 October, 2014 on Artsy, where viewers may browse booths and artworks from the fair’s 27 selected exhibitors and contact galleries with inquiries beginning one week prior to the opening of the physical fair on 15 October in London. 1:54 will remain live on Artsy throughout the fair, with new works updated daily.

On-site at 1:54—which will take place in London during Frieze week at Somerset House— the Artsy app for iPhone will function as a customized guide on visitors’ mobile phones, mapping the fair and pinpointing their saved favorite artists, artworks, and exhibitors. The app also provides related content, such as price details (where available), and suggests similar artworks on sale at the fair. Visitors may stop by the Artsy booth for a personal demo or other special collector services from Artsy specialists.