Moroccan Art, in all its splendor and creativity, is in the spotlight of the 15th edition of the Biennial of Contemporary African Art “Dak’Art 2024”, with the participation of designer Hicham Lahlou, we read in a press release received by our editorial team.
Invited among international talents to the Dakar Biennale, a major event on the artistic scene, Hicham Lahlou, leading figure of Moroccan design and standard bearer of African design, speaks as part of the official “IN” Program. He is participating in an exhibition dedicated to design, specify the authors of the press release.
Hicham Lahlou, alongside other Moroccan artists, presents two new works, including the Zaha teapot, a tribute to the architect Zaha Hadid, as well as “Emerald”, a creation specially designed for the event, which combines luxury leather goods and high quality brass, continues the press release. This latest work, created by master craftsmen in Fez, is halfway between sculpture, architecture and design, thus reinforcing Moroccan heritage in contemporary design.
The works exhibited demonstrate the ambition to showcase African design on the world stage, with talents such as Cheick Diallo, Bibi Seck, Fatimata Ly and Jean Servais Somian. The “IN” Biennale is thus an opportunity to admire the artistic diversity of the continent and to celebrate the richness of its heritage, we emphasize in the press release.
This return to Dakar marks a key stage in the career of Hicham Lahlou, who is preparing to celebrate his 30 years of creation in 2025. Internationally recognized, the Moroccan designer is a fervent defender of craftsmanship and Moroccan innovation. Several of his creations are also included in the collections of renowned museums, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
The Dakar Biennale, the first event dedicated to promoting African design, is the largest and oldest major event on the African continent. Nearly 3,000 artists have been invited and some 400,000 visitors are expected, according to the press release. They will be able to discover the best of African and diaspora art through a rich program of hundreds of cultural events, in the “IN” and “Off” sections, combining painting, sculpture, design, sound and musical installations, performances and debates.
In total, 58 artists from Africa and the diaspora, including several from Morocco, were selected for the International Exhibition which is held in the former Palace of Justice in Dakar, under the artistic direction of Salimata Diop. This edition, placed under the theme “The Wake, L’Éveil, Le Sillage, Xallwi”, also highlights the United States and Cape Verde, continue the authors of the press release.
Inaugurated Thursday by the Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Dakar Biennale paid a vibrant tribute to the deceased artists who left their mark on this historic event, we read in the press release.
