The Dak'Art Dilemma: Curating Vision Beyond Politics in Dakar's Contemporary Art Scene (2013)

Undergraduate: Hannah Clager

Faculty Advisor: Carol Magee
Department: Art

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The Dak'Art Biennale is a state-sponsored contemporary and pan-African artistic event and exhibition held in Dakar, Senegal, that brings together international artists and curators from all continents to engage with and to promote African artists on a global platform. Contemporary African artists have been historically marginalized in the global art scene, as such Dak'Art offers itself as a corrective to this as the only major pan-African art biennale of its kind. Despite international and local support for Dak'Art, there are often tensions and conflicting agendas between the Senegalese government, including biennale organizers who work under the heading of the Ministry of Culture, and the participating artists, art professionals, and financiers. These politics often hinder and challenge the vision, execution, and success of large-scale global art exhibitions. This ethnographic case study examines these relationships within the Dak'Art Biennale over the last 20 years, in order to better understand the government's role and influence over this important artistic event. By looking directly at the author's interactions at the 2012 Dak'Art Biennale, and through interviews held with local artists, curators, critics, and Dak'Art organizers, this investigation analyzed the various strategies and measures government officials have taken in continuing this Dak'Art model, and assess whether the organizers are successful in this endeavor.