Dakar Biennale

The Dakar Biennale, or Dak'Art - Biennale de l'Art Africain Contemporain, is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Dakar, Senegal. Dak'Art's focus has been on Contemporary African Art since 1996.

History

The Dakar Biennale is conceived in 1989 as a biennale alternating literature and art; the first edition in 1990 is focused on literature and in 1992 on visual art. In 1993 the structure of the biennale is transformed and Dak'Art 1996 becomes an exhibition specifically devoted to Contemporary African Art. In 1998 the structure is consolidated and in 2000 there is a considerable change: Abdoulaye Wade is elected president of Senegal few months before the opening of the event. The new president confirms the support of the Senegalese government to the event and Dak'Art 2000 takes place regularly. Dak'Art 2002 is characterized by a new staff and new partners. Dak'Art 2004 receives more international visitors and a wider press coverage; during the opening the president announces his intention to organise a new edition of the World Festival of Black Arts. For the first time an artistic director is appointed for Dak'Art 2006 and the event is organised with the participation of many artists and a more consistence budget. In 2008 the biennale decelerates; the event takes place with a small budget and it is organised last minute. In 2010 the European Commission - major financial partner - does not support the event. In December the third edition of the World Festival of Black Arts is organised in Dakar.

Editions

Taxi Taf-Taf by Dominique Zinkpè, Bénin presented at the Dak'Art 2002

• 1990 Dakar Biennale 1990. First edition focused on literature.
• 1992 Dak'Art 1992. First edition focused on visual art.
• 1996 Dak'Art 1996. First edition focused on Contemporary African Art.
• 1998 Dak'Art 1998. Third edition.
• 2000 Dak'Art 2000. Fourth edition.
• 2002 Dak'Art 2002. Fifth edition.
• 2004 Dak'Art 2004. Sixth edition.
• 2006 Dak'Art 2006. Seventh edition and first edition with an artistic director.
• 2008 Dak'Art 2008. Eighth edition.
• 2010 Dak'Art 2010. Ninth edition and twentieth anniversary.
• 2012 Dak'Art 2012.

Bibliography

• Rasheed Araeen, DAK'ART - 1992-2002 in "Third Text", 17, n°. 1 (2003), p. 93.
• Ndiouga Benga, Mise en scène de la culture et espace public au Sénégal, 1960-2000, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, 2008
• Mongo Beti, L'ETRANGE BIENNALE DE DAKAR... LETTRE OUVERTE A MONSIEUR LE MINISTRE DE LA CULTURE ET DE LA COMMUNICATION DU SENEGAL in "Peuples Noires Peuples Africains", n°. 63, 1988, p. 310-314.
• Nathalie Diserens Dubach, Eva-Maria Schädler, KUNST(T)RÄUME. Gespräche mit drei Künstlergruppen im Kontext der Biennale Dak'Art 2004 in Dakar, VDM, Verlag Dr. Müller, Saarbrücken, 2011.
• Youma Fall, La Biennale de Dakar: Impact sociale et culturel, Université Erfurt, Dicembre 01/12/2009.
• Elizabeth Harney, In Senghor’s Shadow: Art, Politics, and the Avant-Garde in Senegal, 1960–1995, Duke University Press, Durham & London, 2004.
• Yacouba Konaté, Dak’art: Centralization Effects of a Peripheral Biennale presentato al Curating the Other – Curator as Tourist, Dartington College of Arts, Dartington, UK, Aprile 21, 2007.
• Yacouba Konaté, La biennale de Dakar: pour une esthétique de la création contemporaine africaine : tête à tête avec Adorno, L'Harmattan, 2009
• Iolanda Pensa, La Biennale di Dakar, tesi di laurea, relatore Luciano Caramel e correlatore Francesco Tedeschi, Università Cattolica di Milano, Laurea in lettere e filosofia, 2003 (CC-BY-SA).
• Cédric Vincent, Le grand défi de Dak'art, c'est l'élargissement de son public - entretien de Cédric Vincent avec Rémi Sagna in Africultures, dossier Festivals et biennales d'Afrique : machine ou utopie?

See also

• Contemporary African Art
• World Festival of Black Arts

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dakar Biennale.

• Official website