6. Dak´Art 2004

Die Biennale zeitgenössischer afrikanischer Kunst in Afrika, DAK´ART 2004, findet vom 7. Mai bis zum 7. Juni 2004 in Dakar statt. Es handelt sich um eine der bedeutendsten kulturellen Manifestationen auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent, die Künstlern wie auch Kulturverantwortlichen und Kulturinteressierten Gelegenheit bietet zur Leistungsschau, zum Vergleich und zum gegenseitigen Austausch. Neben KünstlerInnen aus dem afrikanischen Kontinent nehmen auf zahlreichen Nebenschauplätzen im ganzen Stadtbereich KünstlerInnen aus der übrigen Welt teil.

Pressetext: Dakar known as DAK´ART is the only manifestation of para-mount importance in the continent to consecrate its selection particularly to the living artists in and outside the continent. In twelve years of existence, it has enabled artists: - To valorize the creation of new models in the field of arts. - To confirm or to show talents as well in the world of plastic arts as in that of the design and numerical arts. - To create new approaches in the definition and the conceptual view of contemporary arts in Africa. - To show in front of a large audience coming all around the world an african people which creates and innovates. - To create new collaborations among african creators on the one hand and among african creators and those of other conti-nents on the other hand. The biennial is created thanks to the will of the senegalese state which assumes the supervision and that of the native artists who have been organizing since the seventies annual art exhibitions regularly which bring to light the different kinds of art and the evolution of contemporary arts. The aim was to make of it a show-window of arts in Africa. After two editions, the decision was made to consecrate the manifestation exclusively to plastic arts and to the design with a little exhibition in textiles and upholstery. Nowadays, numerical arts are found in DAK'ART. The annual art exhibition of tapestry and textiles doesn't exist within the biennial of arts any longer. ORGANIZATION DAK'ART, the biennial for the contemporary african art is placed under the supervision of the senegalese ministry of culture.The general Secretary is the executor. For the efficient functioning of the manifestation, the general secretary of the biennial is helped by the scientific council which proposes the orientations and the contents of each edition of the biennial. The scientific council is composed of independent personalities who are well know due to their competences in the field of arts. (cf . supplement ). EVOLUTION AND INNOVATION DAK'ART, is in fact, consecrated to the contemporary african art. Its mission is to fit out and to consolidate a framework of promotion for african artists in the continent. DAK'ART, during the last editions, has proved its capacity to keep creativity, to favour the exchanges and the discoveries necessary for a new position of the artists and their works on the international scene. DAK´ART, beyond the political will which animates it, is also the result of convergency of collective adhesion to this even has never been ceased spite of the 1994 medium.

THE STORY OF DAK’ART 1992, the first edition of the biennial of arts after that of 1990 dedicated to Letters, is an important landmark for a new centring in several levels.Two essential options will be source of a new configuration for the biennial of dakar in order to meet experts recommendations and the expectations of the artistic community.The biennial remains reserved for the contemporary art. It is devoted to the promotion of the african contemporary creation. The structures which are in charge of the prepa-redness and the organization of the biennial are revised for a best adap-tation to the new option: the Preparatory National Comity is replaced by a scientific council. 1996, the new tested scheme enables to state the identity of the bien-nial and better show professionals, the quality and the diversity of a contemporary artistic production worthy of interest. DAK'ART places in a prominent position in the same time the pertinency of the african criti-cism and its ability to bring a significant contribution to thought on the contemporary creation within the professional meetings. In this same year, the annual art exhibition of the african design and that of upholste-ry and textiles put in appearance at the biennial of dakar. It is the place where tributes are paid to two deceased that destiny had gathered in the individual exhibitions of that year: Mohamed KACIMI from Morroco and Moustapha DIME from Senegal. 1998 has the opportunity to confirm the interest of such option and to introduce, under the pression of a persistent demand, the Market of Plastic African Arts (MAPA). The diaspora is equally present for the indi-vidual exhibitions and the textile creativity integrated to the annual art exhibition of the african design.Finally it is the year when many artists from South Africa and Ivory Coast were part of the official selection. 2000 is undoubtedly the finishing touch of an exemplary trial, that of the General Secretary of biennial of dakar, Remi SAGNA and an united team. The chairman of the scientific council namely Ousmane SOW HUCHARD was about to leave the job to Master Sylvain SANKALE, the new Chairman of the Scientific Council. The year 2000 marks the will of the private enterprise to be involved more in the Biennial by organizing a series of manifestations related to the environment, which later will be know as DAK'ART OFF. It is about individua or collective exhibitions organized by gallery makers or artists. 2002, the tenth anniversary of DAK'ART. A few innovations take place: - the renunciation of MAPA (market of african plastic art). - the choice of the international center of Exterior Commerce for Senegal to host the international Exhibition up to now staged by the Museum of African Art which lies in Soweto square. - The opening of individual exhibitions to artists who don't belong to africa and its diaspora. - The broadening of the spaces of meetings and exchanges for the numerical arts and for urban aesthetics. - The widening of environment manifestations (DAK'ART OFF) followed up and valorized through a special commission created by the General Secretary to give again more visibility to more than one hundred manifesta-tions in dakar and its surroundings. - The organization of manifestations off on private enterprise in the interior of the country (St Louis, Ziguinchor, and Thies). 2004, is the sixth edition which artistic contents is put into the hands of the professionals of the world art. The forum "Meetings and Exchanges" has a topic "the contemporary african art proof against globalization: problems, sta-kes and perspectives". DAK'ART 2004, there are thirty three artists and five designers selected who come from sixteen african countries, three curators presenting eighteen artists from Africa, from the diaspora and from the world. DAK'ART 2004, there are equally meetings and questions about numeri-cal arts, about urban aesthetics, about culture places emerging in Africa... DAK'ART 2004, there are at last exhibition spots which transformes Dakar into a capital for contemporary art.

THE CICES - The international Center Exterior Commerce for Senegal International Exhibition of African Artists

South Africa: Thando Mama, Mgicineci Soboph, Doreen Southwood, Gregg Smith, Sue Williamson

Algeria: Samia Benyahia, Zoulikha Bouabdellah
Bénin : Pélagie Gbaguidi
Cameroon: Isaac Essoua dit Malam, Achilleka Komguem
Congo Brazzaville: Bill Kouelany, Gaston Massamba M'Bongo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Michèle Magema
Egypt: Amal Kenaway & Abdel Ghany Kenaway, Moataz M. Nas, Khaled Hafez, Maha Maamoun, Hala Elkoussy

Ethiopia: Elias Sime, Assefa Gebrekidan
Ivory Coast: Azieman Louis-Marcel Wanoumi
Madagascar: Jeriarimanjato Razafindranaivo
Morroco: Younes Rahmoun, Asmae Lahkim Bennani
Nigéria : Toyin Loye, Toyosi Odunsi

Sénégal: Mohamadou N´Doye dit Douts, Bassirou Dieng dit Diego, Aicha Aidara, Cheikh Niass, Fatou Kande Senghor
Togo: Sokey Edorh Tunisia: Fatma Charfi

DOUTA SECK HOUSE CULTURE Salon for the Design
Agéria: Mohamed Yahyaoui dit Yamo
Cameroon: Jules Bertrand Wokam
Mali: Cheick Diallo, Madeleine Bomboté
Togo: Amivi Homawoo

THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART Kurator: Yacouba Konaté Tapfuma Gutsa, Zimbabwé; Christian Lattié, Ivory Coast; Joseph Francis Sumegne, Cameroon

IFAN - Museum of the fundamental institute for black Africa Kurator: Ivo Mesquita Joé Bédia, Cuba; Mario Cravo Neto, Brasil; Odili Donald Odita, Nigéria

FORMER LAW-COURT Kurator: Hans Ulrich Obrist Allora & Calzadilla, Trisha Donnelly, Yang Fudong, Dominique Gonzales-Foerster, Carsten Höller, Isaac Julien, Multiplicity, Philippe Parreno, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Anri Sala, Anton Vidokle  

Konferenz:

MEETINGS AND EXCHANGES, 08.05. 2004 Ort : CICES Moderatorin : Aminata Diaw Cissé TeilnehmerInnen : Saskia Boss, Sara Diamond, Bernadette Dufresne, Guadalupe Echevarria, Viginia Garetta, Bastien Gilbert, Krydz Ikwuemesi, Kinsey Katchka, Yacouba Konaté, Jacques Leenhardt, Ivo Mesquita, Barbara Murray, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Thierry Raspail, Ola Bisi Silva, Abdou Sylla, Cédric Vincent  

Lab:

DAK´ART_LAB /VOLUME1 Ort: CICES TeilnehmerInnen: Pape Ba, Joey Berzowska, Odile Blin, Annie Cheneau-Losquay, Yves Codjia, Nina Czegledy, Stéphane d’Almeida, KRN Dermineur, Viyé Diba, Pape Meissa Diop, Gabriel Djivo, Wayne Dunkley, Lucie Falque-Vert, Candice Hopkins, Lalunanegra, Fatoumata Kandé Senghor, Nathalie Magnan, Ismaila Manga, Hervé Monteil, Camille Turner, Cheryl l’Hyrondelle Waynatokeh, Ousmane Wilane ModeratorInnen: Sylviane Diop, Sara Diamond

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF SELECTION Meskerem Assegued, Thomas Boutoux, Sara Diamond, Gerald Matt, Ousseynou Wade, Emma Bedford, Victor-Emmanuel Cabrita, Didier Pierre Schaub