Dak'Art: Forces of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art from the Perspective of the 2014 Edition. Issue 3 (1st September 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tissières, Hélène
• Is Part Of: Critical interventions. Volume 10:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 309
• Page End: 324
• Publication Date: 2016-09-01
• Subjects: Art, African -- Periodicals; Art, African -- 20th century -- History -- Periodicals; Art, African -- 21st century -- History -- Periodicals; 709.6
• DOI: 10.1080/19301944.2016.1227606
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1930-1944

Abstract

Abstract : The Biennale of Contemporary African Art, also called the Dak'Art, is the most important platform for the promotion of African art. It is composed of an In (with a steering committee and a secretary general) and an Off (organized by the population) and offers the opportunity to discover a multitude of perspectives, inviting one to wander throughout not only Dakar but Senegal as well. This article, while centering on the 2014 event, which had the theme "producing the common, " discusses the unsurpassable value of the Dak'Art, its structure, and the many postcolonial challenges it continues to face that go at times beyond what can be imagined. It also analyzes the wide range of topics tackled by the artists, which closely reflect the political issues endured (globalization, excessive use of violence, pollution, injustices, etc.) and the numerous cultural and spiritual forms astutely referred to, in order to decenter dominant forces and encourage the viewer to meditate on how to better move forward.