Akka Project

What Akka Project does

AKKA Project is a contemporary African art gallery and cultural initiative founded in 2016 by Lidija Khachatourian, operating dual gallery spaces in Venice (San Marco, headquarters) and Dubai (Al Quoz, by appointment). The gallery represents and exhibits emerging and established African and diasporic artists through rotating solo and group exhibitions, with current and recent shows including Layers of Venice by Dawit Abebe, BLACKBOX, and The Gaze. Its core differentiator is an integrated Artist Residency Program (A.R.P.) that has hosted 13 artists in Venice since inception, providing studio space, material support, and exhibition outcomes, including collaborations with Berengo Studio for Murano glass residencies.

The business operates on an event-driven, relationship-based go-to-market model. Primary revenue comes from one-time primary-market sales of artworks, priced across tiers from under €1,000 to over €50,000, to individual collectors and institutional buyers (Chazen Museum of Art, Barjeel Art Foundation, Saatchi Collection, Fondation Gandur pour l'Art). Secondary revenue streams include structured residency programming (professional services) and sales of exhibition catalogues and cultural guides (e.g., African Venice, Venezia Africana) via a Stripe-powered online store. Distribution is anchored in physical gallery walk-ins, direct collector relationships, and participation in art fairs including Africa Basel, AKAA, YouNique, and 1-54, with editorial amplification through press coverage and social channels (Instagram, Facebook).

Customer segments are individual art collectors and institutional museums/foundations primarily in Europe and the Middle East, with growing Asia exposure via Tsinghua University Art Museum. The model is founder-centric, with no external institutional investors, funding rounds, or M&A activity disclosed in the available data. Operational scale is small (1-10 employees), and the company has no documented technology stack beyond standard e-commerce payment processing.

Name

Akka Project

Legal name

AKKA Project - Contemporary African Art Initiative

Website

https://akkaproject.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AKKA Project is a dual-location contemporary African art gallery in Venice and Dubai, founded in 2016, that represents African and diasporic artists through exhibitions, a 13-artist residency program, and art fair participation, serving individual collectors and museum institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Marco

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Art Sales: Primary revenue stream from representing and selling contemporary African art through gallery exhibitions, art fairs, and direct collector relationships. Works are sold from represented artists including paintings, sculptures, mixed media, and works on paper.
2. Artist Residency Program: Structured residency program hosting African artists in Venice, providing studio space, artistic development, and culminating exhibitions. The program supports artists with material support and international exposure.
3. Publications: Sale of exhibition catalogues and publications including African Venice: A Guide to Art, Culture and People and exhibition-specific catalogues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AKKA Project is a contemporary African art gallery with physical exhibition spaces in Venice, Italy and Dubai, UAE that represents and sells works by emerging and established African and diasporic artists. It runs an Artists Residency Program (A.R.P.) in Venice, hosts rotating exhibitions of paintings, sculptures, mixed media, and works on paper, and sells exhibition catalogues and publications such as African Venice and Venezia Africana through an online store.

Product overview

AKKA Project is a dual-location contemporary African art gallery with spaces in Venice, Italy and Dubai, UAE. The core offering is the gallery itself, showcasing African and diasporic artists through rotating exhibitions. The business model integrates an Artists Residency Program (A.R.P.) that hosts African artists for extended residencies in Venice, often in collaboration with partners like Berengo Foundation in Murano for glass workshops. The company supports its artists and operations through an online store selling publications and catalogs, including titles like 'African Venice' and 'Venezia Africana', as well as exhibition-specific catalogs documenting residency outcomes. The gallery participates in art fairs including Africa Basel, YouNique, and AKAA - Also Known As Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AKKA Project Gallery Exhibitions

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 artist residencies completed since program inception
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Tsinghua University Art Museum of BeijingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Tsinghua University Art Museum featured AKKA artist Osaru Obaseki in the landmark exhibition Glasstress: The Modern Art Revolution in Venice, presenting works created during her AKKA residency with Berengo Studio. The exhibition brought together 56 artists from over 20 countries.
• Africa BaselmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 June 2025First edition of Africa Basel art fair in June 2025. AKKA Project participated in this new art fair aligned with Art Basel energy, showcasing artists from its roster including Osaru Obaseki.
• Berengo Foundation / Berengo StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2024Partnership for artist residencies in Murano, Italy. Artists in the AKKA residency program have opportunity to work with Murano glass masters at Berengo Studio, creating glass sculptural works. This collaboration enables the integration of traditional Murano glass techniques with contemporary African artistic practice. Osaru Obaseki was the sixth resident artist in this program (January-April 2024).
• AKAA - Also Known As AfricacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLongstanding participation in the AKAA art fair (9th edition in 2024). The fair is a major platform for African art in Paris.
• YouNique Boutique Fair of ArtsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorParticipation in YouNique Boutique Fair of Arts in March 2025 in Lugano, Switzerland.
• Horniman Museum & GardensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist residency hosting for AKKA artist Osaru Obaseki at the Horniman Museum in London in 2024.
• Goethe Institute / Rele Arts FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative workshop program (Back to Base) supporting artistic community development in Lagos, Nigeria. Osaru Obaseki participated in this initiative.
• 1-54 Contemporary African Art FairmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoverage and engagement with the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in Marrakech, featuring special projects and collaborations with platforms like ABLAKASSA.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/akkaproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/akkaproject
• Xx.com/akkaproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/akkaproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Akka Project