The Contemporary African Art festival returns to Senegal for its 14th edition after a two-year hiatus caused by the covid-19 outbreak in 2020. The festival held every two years gives visibility to African artists within the international art market by promoting contemporary African art and encouraging tourism. This year saw many people, including artists, art collectors, and art enthusiasts in the diaspora trooping into Senegal to be a part of the prominent event in the contemporary African art world.

The exhibition theme "Ndaffa” which means to forge out of the fire in Serer language, hints at the construction of new models. It showcases the works of fifty-nine artists from twenty-eight countries, including 16 African countries and 12 countries of the diaspora. The displayed works of art include photography, sculpture, textiles, and performance art.

The chairman of the exhibition’s steering committee, Moustapha Ndiaye, described the Biennial event as “a celebration of visual arts, human genius, and spirit…”

“I love the creative vibe of Senegal as a whole,” said Adebowale Tyna, a Nigerian painter who had traveled from her home base in the Netherlands to show her work.

 “There’s no ego. It’s towards one goal, which is art and culture for the sake of the whole country, the community, and the people. I love the collective support that I see. It’s a very beautiful spirit, very vibrant. I really admire it.” She added.

The event which kicked off on May 14 with an opening ceremony at Dakar’s Grand Theatre featured musical performances from the Senegalese group Orchestra Baobab and the Malian kora player Sidiki Diabate. It also saw several prizes being awarded to artists. Notable amongst the prizes was “The Grand Prix Léopold Sédar SENGHOR”, considered to be Dak’Art Main Prize.

Tegene Kunbi Senbento, an Ethiopian artist, won this prestigious award. He had the honor of receiving an envelope of 20 million FCfa from President Macky Sall, the current chair of the African Union.

The Biennale art director El Hadji Malick Ndiaye also told AFP that this year’s Bienniale event “is symbolically strong” because it's after the Covid-19 crisis that shook and tested African countries.

This year, the international event includes nearly 300 exhibitions in Dakar, out of which Seventeen artists were tasked to produce monumental works on site to interact with locations along Senegal's coast. 

One of the artworks features two pyramid-shaped mausoleums with dozens of sculpted faces with closed eyes on the exterior. There are shoes lined up from one side of it down to the river brink as if falling off. This artwork by artist Yakhya Ba portrays the tragedy of illegal migration that affects many African families.

Another work, a "forest" of 343 armless sculptures by Senegalese artist Ousmane Dia, was displayed near the University Cheikh Anta Diop. The artwork is a fierce critic of inequality and calls for a new order that focuses more on human dignity.

The Biennale event will run until June 21.