For political reasons, the Senegalese art scene is experiencing a minor setback with regard to the celebration of its biennial event. Initially scheduled from May 16 to June 16, the grand mass of contemporary African art has now been postponed to November 07 to December 07, 2024, according to a press release from the Senegalese Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. The reasons for the postponement are said to be “constraints and hazards induced by the national and international context”.
Indeed, on March 24, Senegal saw its political environment change with the election of a new head of state, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Having taken place three weeks before the initial date of the Dakar Biennale 2024, certain logistical points could not be finalized. The new presidential era had a major impact on the preparatory process for this event dedicated to African visual arts, delaying the funding needed to complete the event, but external constraints also intervened. According to Dak’art’s General Secretary, repeated attacks by Houthists off the coast of Yemen could damage the transport of works. In order to guarantee an experience on a par with, or even better than, previous Dak’art events, the decision was taken to postpone the Dakar Biennale of Contemporary Art by a few months.
This announced calendar change, just three weeks before the event, is causing a great deal of inconvenience for participants. Indeed, many of those involved find themselves penalized both logistically and organizationally, due to the time and expense involved in a biennial that has now been postponed until later. However, while the events scheduled in parallel with the fair have also been postponed, some have been maintained on the expected date, including the opening of the Raw Material art center exhibition still scheduled for May 19. In short, the original terms remain the same, only the time factor has been modified.
The Dakar Biennale 2024 will now be held from November 07 to December 07, 2024, under the theme “The Wake, L’Éveil, Le Sillage” and the artistic direction of art critic and curator Salimata Diop. The artists selected in advance will be the same ones to exhibit their works at this African cultural and artistic event. It is to be hoped that over the next six months, the Dakar Biennale 2024 will continue to attract as many, if not more, people eager to discover African artistic creativity in the heart of Senegal, the land of art.