Keep Up With Global Black News

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox.

BY Farida Dawkins, 6:45am May 04, 2018,

[Art Attack] Dakar Biennale in Senegal: the place to be for contemporary African art 

by Farida Dawkins, 6:45am May 04, 2018,
Dak'Art 2018. The Chief Curator III...YouTube

The Dakar Biennale or DAK’ART was formulated in 1989 as a medium to highlight contemporary art in Africa. The mediums explored are art and literature.

With the conjunction of Senegalese artists and the Senegalese state in 1990, the first version concentrated on literature. In 1992, art became the basis.  “The aim was to make of it a show-window of Art and literature in Africa.”

Two years later, the vision was turned solely on design and visual arts.

From 1996 to 2000, the exhibition went through several modifications which included an exhibition solely showing current African art; it also began running every two years instead of annually.

2004 ushered in the attention of the international spectators and more press coverage.

From 2008 to 2010, the event experienced fluctuations as the budget was scaled back as the European Commission opted not to back the event.

2014 to 2017 proved to be steady years; the exhibitions resumed a balance as curators such as Abdelkader Damani, Elise Atangana and Simon Njami were appointed. It was also reinstated to be shown every year as opposed to biannually.

This year’s theme is “The city in the blue day,” the name adopted from a Lèopold Sèdar Senghor poem.  The international exhibition titled “A New Humanity” features work from 75 artists coming from 33 countries. There will also be a showing of “The Red Hour,” “a coming of age” and “metamorphosis and transformation.”

It will run from May 3 to June 2.

Last Edited by:Francis Akhalbey Updated: June 12, 2018

Conversations

Must Read

Connect with us

Join our Mailing List to Receive Updates

Face2face Africa | Afrobeatz+ | BlackStars

Keep Up With Global Black News and Events

Sign up to our newsletter to get the latest updates and events from the leading Afro-Diaspora publisher straight to your inbox, plus our curated weekly brief with top stories across our platforms.

No, Thank You