The sites of the 15th Biennial of Contemporary African Art in Dakar (Dak’art 2024), including the Museum of Black Civilizations and the former Cap Manuel courthouse, attract a large Dakar audience made up mainly of Senegalese but also of visitors of various nationalities.
Children, young and old, everyone meets every evening at the emblematic sites of Dak’art 2024.
Some come from distant departments of the Dakar region, such as Rufisque, to visit the works exhibited in these places hosting biennial activities in Dakar-Plateau in particular.
For example, at the Museum of Black Civilizations, in particular in the Senegal pavilion, the entire decor is designed to attract the public.
From the tapestry of the painter Manel Ndoye, winner of the city of Dakar prize, to the beadwork statue ”Ayda Suka” by the artist Oulimata Touré, or the fresco by the artist Sadio Diallo, everything there is designed to allow visitors to come into direct contact with the world of the arts.
Penda Racine Kâ, student at the Training Institute in Administration and Business Creation at the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (IFACE-UCAD), finds the exhibited works that she had there “instructive and magnificent”. opportunity to visit.
Sitting on the ground under the painting ”Airplane”, by the Senegalese artist Sambou Diouf, Penda Racine Kâ makes her visit in the company of her two comrades.
They literally all seem to have fallen under the spell of the paintings of the artists participating in the biennial, which they all describe as “incredible”.
For her first visit to Dak’art, this teenager is captivated by the works of international artists from the two countries guests of honor at the cultural event: the United States and Cape Verde.
”The biennial is a great initiative. Me especially, this is my first time visiting [le Dak’art] and it’s just incredible, it’s wonderful. We learn lots of things through art,” she says with a broad smile.
Cell phone placed on her bag, Diarra Niang films herself dancing, a number that she explains by the fact that the works of art speak to her.
”These works speak to me. I am very excited to be here. This is also my first time visiting the Dakar Biennale. I was drawn to a painting in which lids were used to create a man. I think it was an American or Cape Verdean painting, I don’t know anymore,” she says, excitedly.
Found in front of the ”Portée culturelle”, a 5 meter tapestry which allowed the Senegalese painter, Manel Ndoye, to win a prize, Babacar Junior Ndour, a young man from Rufisque, is also delighted by what he just saw.
Sitting on a bench in the Senegal pavilion, this student, who has just graduated, says he is impressed by the talent of the artists at the biennial.
”These works are very remarkable. By observing them, you have the impression that there is a hidden message that the artists are pushing you to discover,” he says, staring at a tapestry.
According to him, these works not only remain ”intriguing”, but are also ”significant and push us to go in depth”.
Gabriel Eric Coly, a student at the Dakar School of Fine Arts, emphasizes the importance of cultural exchanges between Senegal and other nations.
For him, ”it’s a real pleasure to see that through art, people can travel and discover several horizons and different cultures”.
The budding artist indicates that his visit allows him to discover not only new techniques and forms of vision, but also to enrich his knowledge as an artist.
Visitors impressed by the works of art
At the old Cap Manuel courthouse, the works of artists selected in the international exhibition or IN are exhibited.
As soon as you enter, you can immediately see the comings and goings of visitors. Inside the palace, in the courtyard leading to the exhibition and talk show rooms, gigantic works in metal, iron and even large paintings measuring more than five meters are displayed.
From ”Albourah troto”, a multifunctional horse-drawn ambulance by the Senegalese designer Bassirou Wade, to the beanbag chair by the Moroccan Younes Duret, through the concept of separate cells by the Nigerian and British artist, Ifeanyi Oganwu, the visitor cannot remain indifferent.
Of Gabonese nationality, student Emmanuelle affirms that the biennial is an opportunity for her to come and discover artistic works.
Having lived in Dakar for five years, she would like to see this type of initiative be duplicated in several African countries, particularly in Gabon.
”There are things we don’t know. We come, we learn and we also discover certain artists from different countries. What really captivated me were the African outfits. The detail of the outfits was really beautiful. It was really pretty,” she says, referring to the nod to fashion in the design section.
Of slim build, Samir is a Lebanese national who was born and raised in Dakar. He believes that Dak’Art is the best space to ‘get away from it all’.
”I’m not really an art lover. The only place where I can perhaps try to take my time and perhaps understand something is the old courthouse, through the biennial,” he explains.
Found behind the large courtyard of the palace where some of the works of Senegalese designers are housed, Samir thinks that the biennial is a great opportunity to showcase the works of the country’s artists.
Dressed in a t-shirt and brown pants, François Diatta, a student at the Polytechnic School of UCAD, says he is impressed by the work of art ”Vent des plumes”, by the Cameroonian designer, Serge Mouangue.
”There is a work back there which is in the form of Austrian feathers. This speaks to me. When I saw it, I had the impression of seeing angel feathers,” he says, laughing out loud, before joining his comrades.
