The Dakar Biennale, the major event in contemporary African art, marked the beginning of its 15th edition and immediately captured the attention. During the opening ceremony, a fusion of music, dance and storytelling transported the audience into an intoxicating atmosphere.
The highlight of the evening was the awards ceremony, where French artist Agnès Brezephin, originally from the island of Martinique, received the prestigious Léopold Sédar Senghor Prize from Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye for her work entitled “Fil(s) de soi(e)”.
The Dakar Biennale remains a vital space for exhibition and sharing for artists like Awa Meïte from Mali. For her, being present at this event is of paramount importance, as the Dakar Biennale is one of the most important in the world. It is a place of exchange and meeting that offers visibility to African art in general, a major challenge in a difficult economic context, but a challenge already successfully met.
The theme of the Dakar Biennale 2024, “Xàll wi” in Wolof, which means “awakening”, invites Africans to reclaim their cultures and reinvent themselves in the face of global changes. Africa’s creative energy is palpable, and the Dakar Biennale celebrates it through a variety of artistic expressions, from illustration to virtual reality, sound arts, sculpture and photography, thus offering a journey into the world of art, through stops in the past, where emblematic figures of African history are honored.
The photos exhibited during the Biennale speak for themselves. In particular, they help to nourish the minds of young visitors, like Gabriel Cabral, by highlighting personalities such as Sankara, Léopold Sédar Senghor, and Amilcar Cabral.
The 2024 edition of the Dakar Biennale, which will be held until December 7, will welcome no fewer than 3,000 artists, including 58 selected for the “In” section, announced the Senegalese authorities. This year, Cape Verde and the United States of America are the guests of honor at this unmissable event for contemporary African art.
In conclusion, the Dakar Biennale asserts itself as an unmissable event on the African art scene, offering a space for exchange, reflection, and celebration of African creativity in all its diversity and dynamism.