Creative Residence #3
Curatorial Note
“Mbedd mi mbeddum buur la”
[The street belongs to the king (the State)].
“Bopp sa bopp”: every man for himself - When individual concerns take over from the common good
As far as the eye can see, people are crammed into burning heaps of concrete
(the opposite of our traditional materials) with no space for vegetation...
Houses, makeshift shelters, sprout up with no overall plan, unhindered right up to the coast, taken over by the buildings of a few caciques of a well-connected elite!
Is the street still a street?
It is occupied in an anarchic manner by merchants and beggars.
Cars of all ages, lorries, rickshaws and Djakarta motorbikes hurtle along in a maddening din.
“Bopp sa bopp” (every man for himself) reigns supreme. Individual interests take precedence over everything else.
"Mbedd mi mbeddum buur la" is a selfish spirit in a society where everyone does what they want...
If it's up to the king to make the law, when the king is absent, there's total disorder! And when someone protests, they're considered to be the troublemaker.
But aren't we all Buur "King" when it comes to building a modern, liveable city on a daily basis?
Incivilities, anarchic occupation, traffic jams and pollution are the daily lot of the city of Dakar in 2024.
Our exhibition explores the chaos of our cities, what it reveals about our individualistic behaviour and the excesses of our politicians, who are more concerned with their personal interests than building a common vision!
It shows the shortcomings of unbridled, out-of-control urban development, which is transforming African cities at breakneck speed under accelerating demographic pressure, and asks what the ideal city of tomorrow will look like.
What will the African megalopolis look like in 2050?
Shouldn't urban space be reinvented, with forms of housing and architecture adapted to our social codes and inspired by the models of mythical cities such as Timbuktu, Mpoti, Djenné and Meroe?
How can we raise our collective awareness to meet the challenges of the city of tomorrow, and ensure that we live together in harmony and with respect for the environment?
About the résidence
The aim of the residency is to bring together artists from Africa and its Diaspora to create a physical and digital exhibition as part of the Dakar Biennial 2024 OFF.
The selected artists will produce two works on the theme of the exhibition by the end of April under the conditions described below.
The residency will give rise to a public and virtual restitution during the Biennale de Dakar 2024.
The artist(s) selected will benefit from:
the use of shared studios for local artists,
curatorial support,
masterclasses and workshops
mentoring by professionals,
coaching, communication and promotional support.
They will be involved in local activities to disseminate contemporary art to the general public (studio visits, workshops, creative workshops, etc.).
Projet duration: from 12 March to 18 June 2024
Location: Espace d'art Jendalmart
Located in Dakar's Mamelles district, an ideal creative and inspirational setting dedicated to artists with 20m2 of furnished space overlooking the Lighthouse and the African Renaissance Monument.
Conditions: artist from Africa and its Diaspora
Be an artist over 18 years of age
Reside in Senegal during the period for the physical residency only
For the digital residency, there is no residence requirement in Senegal
Proof of artistic experience (minimum of 3 exhibitions)
Have an active digital presence on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter)
Selection
The selection committee will meet during the first week of March before unveiling the shortlist. The relevance of the artist's career and artistic approach is essential.
Some artists will be in physical residency and others in remote residency.
Any additional information required to evaluate the applications may be requested before the final selection is announced on 11 March 2024.
Réalisation des œuvres
Once the final selection has been made, each of the artists will enter a creative residency, either remotely or physically, to produce two works by 30 April.
Event planning
15 february 2024 : Application launch
1st march 2024 : Last day for apply
6 march 2024 : Artists selection
12 march 2024 : Beginning of the creative residence
30 april 2024 : End of the residence and making artworks available
5 mai to 10 mai : Digitalization of all the artworks
11 mai to 15 mai : Preparation of the exhibition
18 mai to 18 june : Collective exhibition in physical and virtual room during the OFF of the Dakar Art Biennal 2024
You are Painter, photographer, sculptor, designer, ditigal & nft artist...
FIND HERE THE COMPLETE OPEN CALL IN PDF VERSION