In an exciting announcement, the organizers of Dak’Art, the African Contemporary Art Biennale, have revealed the theme, artist list, and guest curators for its highly anticipated 15th edition scheduled to run from May 16 to June 16, 2024. The biennale, titled “The Wake,” aims to explore the intricate connections between art, society, climate, and history, with a particular focus on Dakar.
Aiming to prompt an awakening to the pressing social and environmental challenges confronting the world, Dak’Art 2024 positions artists as catalysts for shaping a new global narrative. The biennale will showcase the works of fifty-eight artists hailing from Africa and its diaspora, working across diverse mediums such as drawing, virtual reality, sound, sculpture, and photography.
The full list of participating artists includes:
- Adel Adessemed
- Sara Altantawi
- Clay Apenouvon
- Hiba Baddou
- Oumar Ball
- Mugabo Baritegera
- Sonia Barrett
- Arebenor Bassene
- Ama Be
- Youness Ben Slimane
- Hicham Berrada
- Dalila Dalleas Bouzar
- Agnes Brezephin
- Jenna Burchell
- Salimata Camara
- Sika Da Sylveira
- Elladji Lincy Deloumeaux
- Aliou Diack
- Collectif Diodos
- Mohamed Diop
- Senami Donoumassou
- Sokari Douglas- Camp
- Slimen El Kamel
- Samuel Gelas
- Astrid Gonzalez
- Thonton Kabeya
- Tahir Carl Karmali
- Majida Khattari
- Pascal Konan
- Lo-Def Film Factory
- Mad in Pixel
- Galane Romane Madede
- Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien
- Martin Lukongo Masudi
- Primo Mauridi
- Wilfried Mbida
- Tuli Mekondjo
- Stéphanie Melyon-Reinette
- Siwa Mgoboza
- Maya Mihindou
- Youssef Taki Miloudi
- Wangechi Mutu
- Mouhamadou N’doye (N’doye Douts)
- 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
- Ezra Wube
Dak’Art 2024 will unfold across various venues in Dakar, featuring multiple exhibitions curated by experts in the field. A special exhibition curated by Kara Blackmore, Marynet J, and Cindy Olohou, titled “On s’arrêtera quand la Terre rugira (We will stop when the Earth roars),” will shed light on urgent ecological issues, exploring how their effects disproportionately impact countries least responsible for the crisis.
Other highlights include a showcase of national pavilions at the Musée des civilisations noires, tributes to Anta Germaine Gaye and the late Mouhamadou N’doye, curated by Salimata Camara and Sylvain Sankalé, respectively, and a design-focused section at the Ndary Lo space within the Old Courthouse, curated by designer Ousmane Mbaye.
Dak’Art 2024 will also feature engaging panel discussions in both French and English, centering around the biennial’s theme. These discussions will take place at the Musée des civilisations noires and the Ancien Palais de Justice Dakar, with mornings dedicated to discussions followed by participatory round tables and artist performances in the afternoons at the Old Courthouse.
Art enthusiasts, scholars, and the general public are eagerly anticipating the 15th Dak’Art edition, which promises to be a thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between art and the critical issues facing our world today.
