Among Dialogues, Trajectories, and Artistic Reinventions from Dakar

Abstract

The dossier discusses Senegalese artistic expressions that emerged from the city of Dakar or in dialogue with it, highlighting connections, contradictions, disputes, movements, and interregional reinventions. It brings together contributions from the 1st International Seminar Affluences dans les arts depuis Dakar, with a focus on the integration of local and external legacies, exchanges between African artists and institutions, and the influence of Senegalese creative production in Brazil, France, and beyond. It analyzes the role of cultural dynamics, collections, festivals, exhibitions, and curatorial practices in shaping art and museums, as well as the relevance of the 2023 and 2025 São Paulo Biennials for contemporary African presence, with particular emphasis on Senegalese participation.

The dossier also discusses the centrality of Dakar as a hub of artistic production and circulation, highlighting the role of Léopold Sédar Senghor in consolidating debates on Negritude, Pan-Africanism, and the independence of former French colonies. It further addresses the impact of journals and festivals, such as the World Festival of Black Arts and the Pan-African Festival of Algiers. The processes of collecting, circulation, and commodification of African art are examined, as well as the creation of the Agit’art collective, which opposed official cultural policy. The text also highlights contemporary forms of resistance and critique, such as the RBS Crew collective, and the innovative role of artists (Dior Thiam, Alioune Diagne), curators (Koyo Kouoh), and choreographers (Germaine Acogny) in Senegalese and African arts. Finally, it underscores the vitality of the Senegalese presence at the São Paulo Biennials and the displacement of centers of production, circulation, and critique of African art, pointing to current epistemic challenges and transformations.