The Raw Material Company is a center for contemporary art, education, and society in Senegal with an understanding of visual art as a powerful tool for setting in motion social and political processes of transformation.

Founded in 2008 as a mobile art initiative, the Raw Material Company now has a permanent address in Dakar. Rawbase provides space for artist talks, master classes, symposia, and lectures on a wide range of topics such as urbanity, literature, film, politics, and diaspora. A long-term goal is the establishment of a library and a living archive of contemporary artistic practice in Africa. The Raw Material Company also includes the Raw Gallery, a 100-square-meter exhibition space, and the Raw Residency, which provides accommodation for international artists, curators, and authors specializing in photography, video, and art in public space. Under the leadership of curator Koyo Kouoh, the Raw Material Company’s discursive and interdisciplinary program is active in many countries around the world, focusing on the promotion of artistic and intellectual creativity in Africa, a critical reflection of society, and the exchange of knowledge across cultures.

http://rawmc.org