A Guide to Non-Official Dakar Biennale Events You Can Still Attend
Although the official Dakar Biennale event has been postponed, these Biennale-associated events are still taking place.
Less than a month before it was set to kickstart in May, the 2024 Dakar Art Biennale was postponed by the Senegalese authorities for six months. According to the Youth, Sports and Culture Ministry, the postponement was set up to prepare newly elected officials for optimum conditions. This news was a letdown for many art connoisseurs who were planning to visit the vibrant city of Dakar for the month-long event showcasing the best of local and international talents.
But while the official Biennale events will now be taking place in November, organizers of other events scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the Biennale are still going ahead with their plans. And for people who have already arrived in Dakar or still intend to visit in May, below are some of the Biennale-adjacent events that are open to the public. These events are varied; from exhibitions to immersive experiences, film screenings to dinners, pop-ups and parties.
The Awakening is Afropolitan?
The Vlisco House at The Third, will be showcasing work from four Senegalese groundbreaking artistic talents responding to the theme “The Awakening is Afropolitan?” Artists Linda Dounia Rebeiz, Selly Raby Kane, Fatiya Diene Mazza, and Audrey d’Erneville will be showing from May 19 to May 22.
Archipelagoes of Bonds
On Wednesday, May 22, the Raw Material Company will screen short films by Janilda Bartolomeu, including her latest work, which she shot in Dakar. The screening will be followed by a conversation with her guests, Ramon Amaro and Zineb Seghrouchni. Janilda’s work explores silent narratives and draws on themes of families, history and evolution.
Pèlerinage by Aliou Diack
Showing from May 19 to May 26, the OH Gallery is set to present work from Aliou Diack at the Maison Ousmane Sow gallery. This project is framed as a pilgrimage between the artist and his visitors. The works presented, according to the official statement, “reminds us of the importance of the notion of return for the realization of our wholeness. Sometimes we must go back in order to go forward. Back to sites of importance for our understanding of the world, the cosmos and our own existence.”
Pop-up + Club Night at ElectrAfrique
On Friday, May 24, and Saturday, May 25, spend time at Maison de la Culture Douta Seck, shopping and partying with some of the best EDM DJs. The two-day event features roundtables, food and market stalls, as well as film screenings and DJ sets. The panel talk on Friday will center on the stereotyping of female DJs, while that of the second day will feature conversations around cultural appropriation in music.
Dinner and art project showcase at Ban Workshop
In collaboration with Eastside Projects, Ban Workshop will be hosting several artists at an experimental residency featuring artist rituals, public meals, performances, open talking circles, workshops and other public events. The event will be open to the public on May 30, through June 1, for two public dinners and a showcase of the artists’ works in progress.
Check out this itinerary for a detailed, day-to-day guide of all the events happening this month up until early June.