From November 7 to December 7, 2024, the 15th Biennale of Contemporary African Art in Dakar will be held under the theme “The Wake – L’Éveil.”
After the scheduled opening of Dakar’s 15th Contemporary Art Biennale was postponed less than three weeks before in May due to election-related turbulence, the general secretariat rescheduled the event to November 7. Last week, the long-awaited opening finally took place and the Biennale will run from November 7 to December 7, 2024, under the theme “The Wake – L’Éveil.”
Below are some first impressions from the exhibition, which takes place at several key venues: the Ancien Palais de Justice, Musée des Civilisations Noires, Maison de la Culture Douta Seck, and Galerie Nationale d’Art.
These are the artists selected for the main exhibition of this year’s edition:
Adel Adessemed, Sara Altantawi, Clay Apenouvon, Hiba Baddou, Oumar Ball, Mugabo Baritegera, Sonia Barrett, Arébénor Bassene, Ama Be, Younès Ben Slimane, Hicham Berrada, Dalila Dalléas Bouzar, Jenna Burchell, Aika da Silveira, Elladji Lincy Deloumeaux, Collective Diodos Argentina, Mohamed Diop, Sènami Donoumassou, Sokari Douglas Camp, Slimen El Kamel, Samuel Gelas, Thonton Kabeya, Tahir Carl Karmali, Majida Khattari, Pascal Konan, Collective Lo-DEF Film Factory, Russel Hlongwane, Mad in Pixel, Romane Madede Galan, Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien, Martin Lukongo Masudi, Primo Mauridi, Wilfried Mbida, Tuli Mekondjo, Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette, Siwa Mgoboza, Maya Mihindou, Youssef Taki Miloudi, Lizette Nin, Ronald Odur, Masud Olufani, Nengi Omuku, Nyaba Leon Ouedraogo, Abdou Ouologuem, Sidney Regis, Faten Rouissi, Ghizlane Sahli, SHIVAY la Multiple, Jake Michael Singer, Dior Thiam, Gina Athéna Ulysse, Skumbuzo Vabaza, and Ezra Wube.
Photos by Senegalese Twisted.
Gina Athena Ulysse, For Those Among Us Who Inherited Sacrifice: Rasanblaj! in front of Ancien Palais de Justice, 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Senegalese pavilion at Musée des Civilisations Noires. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Ancien Palais de Justice, Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Ancien Palais de Justice, Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Cape Verdean Pavilion at Musée des Civilisations Noires. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Work by Ndoye Dout at Galerie Nationale. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Work by Ndoye Dout at Galerie Nationale. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Musée des Civilisations Noires. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Chelsea Odufu, Moved by Spirit, Musée des Civilisations Noires, Pavilion of United States of America. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Chelsea Odufu, Moved by Spirit, Musée des Civilisations Noires, Pavilion of United States of America. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Serge Correa, Danse du soleil 2, Musée des Civilisations Noires, Senegalese Pavilion, Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Tribute to Anta Gérmaine Gaye at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Tribute to Anta Gérmaine Gaye at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Manuela Lara, Vivas (Alive) at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Haptic Library at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Haptic Library at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Haptic Library at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Arébénor Basséne, Méditez-rat-n’est rien, at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Nyaba Léon Ouédraogo, Mame Coumba Bang. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Ghizlaine Sahli, Les Mamelles. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Dior Thiam, Particles, Ancien Palais de JusticeInstallation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Dalila Dalléas Bouzar, Justice, Ancien Palais de JusticeInstallation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Work by Lo-Def Film Factory & Dzata at Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Mohamed Diop, Opera Edeyem. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
Martin Masudi Lukongo, Dernière prière, Ancien Palais de Justice. Installation View of 15th Dakar Biennale. Photo: Khady | Senegalese Twisted.
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![(clockwise) Manyaku Mashilo, Passage to Prayer (detail), 2023. Credit: Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild Archives. Courtesy of the artist; Tatenda Chidora, Self isolation II, 2021. Ilford Gold fibre Pearl 290gsm, 102cm x 132cm. Courtesy of the artist; Anaïs Cheleux, Mas Maten, Guadeloupe, shot on digital camera, 2016. Courtesy of the artist; Glicéria Tupinambá, Manto tupinambá [Tupinambá Mantle], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Foto: Glicéria Tupinambá; Elizabeth Catlett, African American, 2009, MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, © Elizabeth Catlett Family Trust / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023, photo: Axel Schneider.](https://contemporaryand.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bildschirmfoto-2024-12-19-um-21.08.13-320x200.png)
![(clockwise) Manyaku Mashilo, Passage to Prayer (detail), 2023. Credit: Hayden Phipps & Southern Guild Archives. Courtesy of the artist; Tatenda Chidora, Self isolation II, 2021. Ilford Gold fibre Pearl 290gsm, 102cm x 132cm. Courtesy of the artist; Anaïs Cheleux, Mas Maten, Guadeloupe, shot on digital camera, 2016. Courtesy of the artist; Glicéria Tupinambá, Manto tupinambá [Tupinambá Mantle], 2023. Courtesy of the artist. Foto: Glicéria Tupinambá; Elizabeth Catlett, African American, 2009, MUSEUM MMK FÜR MODERNE KUNST, © Elizabeth Catlett Family Trust / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn 2023, photo: Axel Schneider.](https://contemporaryand.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Bildschirmfoto-2024-12-19-um-21.08.13-480x300.png)
